3 suspected criminals killed in shootout with police in Laguna

By Ronron
January 28, 2008

Three suspected robbers died in a shootout with police before dawn Monday in Laguna province, an official said.

Sr. Supt. Mark Edison Belarma, chief of the Region IV-A Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), said the incident happened at around 12:15 am yesterday outside the Laguna Hills Subdivision in Calamba City.

Belarma said his personnel received a tip on Sunday night that suspicious men were staying outside the subdivision, prompting them to go to the site.

The responding cops, led by Supt. Leo Quevedo, then saw a white MUNICH taxi (plate number TWG-524) parked at a dark and uninhabited part of the village.

Belarma said Quevedo was supposed to approach the taxi and check on the people aboard it when he was met with gunfire.

This prompted Quevedo and his men to fire at the taxi, which they found later to be occupied with three men.

After the brief exchange of gunfire, police found the dead bodies of Romeo Valory, 34, a resident of Barangay Malamig in Biñan town, and George Villamor of Barangay Bucal in said city, at the taxi.

Another person, identified as Reynaldo Ibarra, 46, a resident of Marulas, Valenzuela City, was initially suffering from gunshot wounds, but he was pronounced dead on arrival at the JP Rizal Hospital later.

No one from the police was hurt in the encounter.

Belarma said his men recovered from the suspects one fragmentation grenade, two caliber 38 revolvers, a sketch of the village, a bolt cutter and adhesive tapes after the shootout.

Based on the plan of the suspects, Belarma said the police believe they belong to the Waray-Waray Group that is involved in robbery activities in Laguna and Rizal provinces, targeting wealthy people.

“We already sent communication to the National Bureau of Investigation and to Camp Crame to find out if these men have existing criminal records, particularly their membership with the Waray-Waray Group,” Belarma said./DMS