Angeles City cops gun down 3 motorcycle-riding men

ANGELES CITY, Philippines – A concerned citizen’s call to the police ended up in the death of 3 of 4 motorcycle-riding men in a subdivision at Barangay Anunas here before dawn on Holy Saturday, April 20.

A report submitted by Police Major Rolando Doroja to the city police director identified the slain persons as Jerry Maglente, 26, resident of this city, and Leonardo Balatucan, 24, and Ronaldo Balatucan, 28, both residents of nearby Mabalacat City.

The 4th still-unidentified suspect was able to flee on foot.

Investigation showed that Police Station 4 received the information about the suspicious motorcycle riders in Villasol Subdivision in the afternoon of Good Friday, April 20.

For several hours policemen patrolled the area until 4 am of the next day when they chanced upon 4 men on board 2 motorcycles along Texas Street. One of the men was allegedly carrying a flat screen computer monitor.

Policemen flagged the suspects down.

While the policemen were about to accost the suspects, an intelligence operative recognized Maglente, who has two standing warrants of arrest issued by this city’s Regional Trial Court Branch 58 and Branch 59 for separate charges of robbery.

“Si Jerry Maglente!” (It’s Jerry Maglente!), the intelligence operative instinctively shouted to his colleagues, which was overheard by the suspect.

Doroja said Maglente then pulled a gun and fired at the policemen, prompting the latter to return fire that resulted in the death of the 3 suspects.

A team from the Scene of the Crime Operatives that was later called in to process the “scene of encounter” found a 9mm caliber pistol, two units of caliber .38 revolvers, 11 plastic sachets of methamphetamine hydrochloride, and two sachets of dried marijuana leaves that allegedly belonged to the slain men. Police also seized the two motorcycles the latter were riding. – Rappler.com