Barias ordered immediate probe on the shooting incident happened in Manila

Ma. Lourdes “Miami” Ebilane
April 24, 2008
Story 4: Barias ordered immediate probe on the shooting incident happened in Manila

To stop the speculation that the shooting incident happened in Delpan Bridge in Tondo, Manila was another incident of rub-out, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Geary Barias had ordered Manila Police District Director Roberto Rosales to make a concrete report and follow-up investigation on the said incident.

The MPD clarified earlier reports that there are seven suspects have been killed. Rosales said there were only six of them, and two others civilian got killed and one bystander was injured.

The shooting incident occurred at the Delpan Bridge in Tondo. The suspects were riding at a Nissan Urvan Van color maroon (ZEY-778). Rosales narrated that since last week they are receiving report of a suspicious vehicle roaming in the area and planning to hold-up a business establishment. “But yesterday (April 23) the reports were consistent and it did not stop that day, so we put chokepoints before approaching Delpan Bridge, Anda Circle (between Intramuros and Port Area) and within the vicinity of Kalaw St.”

The chokepoints according to Rosales is not a simple checkpoint wherein a mobile patrol will check on the vehicles, in chokepoints, aside from one police mobile patrol there are other elements of policemen in the vicinity that will be ready to fight of something happened.

True enough, the van, upon approaching the Delpan Bridge and seeing the chokepoints, they slow down and started to fire their guns. “Chase happened in the Bridge, on the spot four were declared dead on the spot, while the other two went outside of the vehicle and run on different directions. Two of these suspects jumped over the railings that separate the north and south bound lanes. But the police were able to shot them.”

He added, about 50-60 meters away from the incident the place saw white Isuzu Fuego two of its passenger were already dead. “Probably died because of the croissfire.”

Rosales identified the two civilians that got killed as Victor Constantino and Rolando Natividad both employees of Asia Brewery and about to go home already from work.

The MPD Director expressed sympathy on the families of these victims. But he is also saying that they are not part of the shoot out, or considered as the suspects. “They were caught in the crossfire.”

With this, Barias has ordered the policemen who responded to the crime scene to subject their guns for ballistic test identify of the bullets that hit the suspects came from the police or from the suspects.

Rosales said, they even have a witness who said that the suspect fired the gun to the civilian victims because one of the suspect who run forcing them to give to him the Isuzu Fuego wherein the victims refused.