Six suspected burglars, including a policeman, were killed in a shootout with Quezon City police in Quezon City Sunday night.
Three of the six armed suspects were identified as Police Officer 1 Lino Acedera of the Manila Police District, allegedly the group's leader; Mauro Lerpido; and Francis Violeta. The armed men were alleged members of an “akyat-bahay” gang that victimizes wealthy families in the city.
Authorities recovered .45 pistols, an M-16 rifle, grenade and an identification card of the Department of the Interior and Local Government from the suspects following the gunfight along Agno Street. A hammer, gloves and other equipment were also seized from them, police said.
Senior Superintendent Magtanggol Gatdula, chief of the Quezon City Police District, said the recovery of these pieces of evidence could link the suspects to the gruesome murder of five people at a Talayan Village home, also in Quezon City, last week.
Prior to the shootout Sunday, police said residents on alert following recent break-ins called them after noticing a Honda Jazz and Mitsubishi Galant driving around their area.
When authorities responded, the suspects reportedly fired at them before crashing their vehicles into the police's Mitsubishi Adventure.
A crossfire then ensued between the two sides around 9 p.m., resulting in the death of the six alleged burglars.
Six policemen from the city's Special Weapons and Tactics squad were rushed to hospital after suffering from gunshot wounds during the clash. Doland Castro, ABS-CBN News