Cop, 3 others killed in Rizal eatery shooting

Four people, including a police sergeant, were killed and two others were critically wounded when four men fired at their group while they were having snacks at an eatery in Taytay, Rizal late Friday night, authorities said.

Slain were SPO1 William Tecson, of the Taytay police; Danilo Bercasio, Cesar Clamar and Cristina Ramos. Seriously wounded were PO2 Manuelito Inosanto and Raquel de la Cruz.

A third policeman, SPO1 Vicente Cercado, was unharmed.

Chief Inspector Rodino Elfa, Taytay police chief, said the victims were eating pansit and talking among themselves at about 11:10 p.m. when two men suddenly barged inside the Mickol eatery along Manila East Road, pulled out Armalite rifles from their bags and started firing.

After the shooting, the two men escaped along with two other men earlier seen drinking beer at the eatery. They boarded a Nissan Vanette with license plate DLW-209.

In their haste to escape, they rammed into a beer truck about three kilometers away from the crime scene. Police said they probably just walked away or boarded a taxi or jeepney from there.

Investigators found a tennis bag containing two Armalite rifles and plenty of ammunition inside the Nissan Vanette.

A check showed that a resident of San Isidro, Tanay, Rizal owns the van. The vehicle was reportedly involved in a recent vehicular accident and was taken from a garage where it was parked.