Two self-confessed hired killers were killed in an ambush while on board a police patrol car in Sampaloc, Manila Tuesday, more than 24 hours after they were arrested while allegedly on a mission to kill drug peddlers in Sampaloc Monday.
The fatalities, identified as Apolonio Flores, 37, of Sampaloc, and Prince Patrick Cortez, 32, businessman, of Balut, Tondo, Manila, were being brought back to the Manila Police District Station 4 (Sampaloc) after attending inquest proceedings at the Manila City Hall when three pairs of unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen tailed and blocked the police patrol vehicle while traversing Fajardo St. corner A.H. Lacson Ave. (formerly Gov. Forbes) at past 4 p.m.
Four of the six gunmen alighted from their motorcycles and ordered PO1 Joven Miguel and PO2 Mark de Lima to lie down and surrender their service firearms.
The assailants opened fire at Flores and Cortez, who were both seated at the back, and sped away. The fatalities died on the spot.
Authorities deferred to give further details about the incident while the investigation is ongoing.
The MPD has created a special task group to fasttrack the identification of the culprits.
“The purpose of this is to see who has the strongest motive to do that…to know who wants to see them dead,” MPD director Chief Supt. Vicente Danao Jr. said.
Flores was arrested in a motorcycle repair shop in Sampaloc following a tip from a concerned citizen who saw a .45 caliber pistol when he pulled his cellphone from his sling bag.
During interrogation at the police station, Flores admitted that he is being hired to kill drug peddlers who failed to remit their earnings.
As a matter of fact, he said, that he was en route to shoot someone in the area but he was accosted.
He showed his text conversation with Cortez, who stood as his handler, prompting the police to conduct a follow-up operation against him the same day.
Cortez was collared in his residence where an MK-2 fragmentation hand grenade and a Mitsubishi Mirage were recovered from him.
Although he owned up to the illegal activity, Cortez said that there is a bigger person behind him. (Ria Fernandez)