By ALEXANDRIA SAN JUAN
Three suspected gun-for-hire men were killed in a running gun battle with the police after evading a checkpoint in Quezon City before dawn yesterday.
Chief Superintendent Joselito Esquivel Jr., head of the Quezon City Police District, said the slain men have yet to be identified but described them as in their 20’s and all wearing t-shirts and maong pants.
Prior to the incident, members of PNP-Highway Patrol Group reportedly received information about the suspects’ planned assassination in Quezon City, prompting them to coordinate with QCPD personnel.
QCPD-Special Traffic Action Group (STAG) and PNP-HPG Task Force Limbas conducted a chokepoint on Payatas Road near Violago Homes II in Barangay Payatas, Quezon City.
At around 2 a.m., operatives manning the chokepoint spotted and flagged down three men onboard two motorcycles without plate numbers coming from Montalban, Rizal.
However, when the suspects saw the police, they immediately made a U-turn heading back towards Montalban.
Operatives chased the suspects who fired gunshots at the pursuing police, triggering a shootout.
During the gun battle, two of the suspects died on the spot while the other one was rushed by policemen to General Malvar Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival due to multiple gunshot wounds in the body.
Operatives recovered from the crime scene a loaded .45-caliber Colt pistol, a loaded .38-caliber revolver, a loaded .45-caliber Remington; a mobile phone, and the two black motorcycles without plate numbers.
