A Camp Crame-based policeman and his alleged accomplice in a series of motorcycle thefts were killed early Thursday by the Quezon City police, who said an entrapment operation against the two suspects turned into a shootout.
Killed were PO1 Jay Rowan Poquiz, 31, a member of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Headquarters Support Services and a resident of Tondo, Manila; and another male who remained unidentified at press time.
Chief Insp. Rodelio Marcelo, chief of the Quezon City Police District鈥檚 (QCPD) Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit said Poquiz and the other suspect were targeted for an operation wherein a police asset would buy a stolen motorcycle from them.
According to Marcelo, the transaction was arranged at a gasoline station on Quirino Highway in Barangay Greater Lagro. But when Poquiz and his partner arrived on a motorcycle (1892 OE), they apparently 鈥渟ensed the presence鈥� of undercover policemen in the area and drove off.
Marcelo said one of the suspects fired shots at the pursuing teams from the QCPD anticar theft unit and Fairview station, and the PNP鈥檚 Task Force Tugis and the Intelligence Group.
The policemen returned fire and hit the two men near the Sacred Heart Novitiate on Quirino.
A loaded 9-mm Beretta pistol was retrieved from the slain Poquiz, while a .45-Colt pistol was recovered near the body of the other suspect.
The unidentified suspect was described to be aged 30 to 35, around 5鈥�2鈥� in height, slim and fair-skinned. He sported tattoos that read 鈥淢ikko鈥� on his chest, 鈥淛ay Ar鈥� on his left arm, 鈥淧astor Bal鈥� on his right arm and 鈥淧aul Henry鈥� on his back.
QCPD anticar theft section chief Senior Insp. Rolando Lorenzo said Poquiz had long been absent without leave and was tagged as the leader of a robbery group particularly targeting motorcycles.
鈥淭hey started in Manila and eventually expanded their operations across (the capital) and later to nearby provinces,鈥� Lorenzo told the Inquirer. 鈥淭hey would use the stolen motorcycles for robbery, then sell the bikes later. If the stolen motorcycle is expensive, they would sell it immediately,鈥� he added.
Citing information from the PNP Intelligence Group, Lorenzo said Poquiz鈥檚 gang had around nine members.
Follow-up operations were under way to capture the rest, he said. 鈥淭he good thing here is that the leader has been neutralized.鈥�