AN armed robbery-holdup suspect was killed in a firefight with policemen pursuing him after he held up a student in Davao City past 10:00 p.m. Sunday, Police Regional Office 11 (PRO11) Director Brigadier General Benjamin H. Silo Jr.

In a report to Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr., the PRO11 director said that the still unidentified suspect exchanged fire with officers from the Davao City Mandug Police Station 13 and was killed in the process.

The suspect became the 2nd armed robbery suspect to be killed in a gunbattle with Davao City policemen after reportedly holding up students who were on their way home last Saturday.

According to Silo, the suspect was identified by a female student as the pistol-wielding robber who held her up while she was walking along the road in Kilometer 10, Purok 16 in Barangay Waan, Buhangin District, 10:15 p.m. Sunday.

The student said she was waiting for her ride home after watching a concert in Bgy. Waan, part of the celebration of “Araw ng Barangay Waan”, when the suspect suddenly approached him, cocked his firearm, and declared a holdup.

The suspect threatened to shoot the victim if she resisted before grabbing her sling bag. However, Silo said that luck was not on the suspect’s side as plainclothes officers from the Mandug City Police Station conducting covert security in the area spotted them.

He said that the officers immediately tried to accost the suspect, but the latter resisted and fired twice at the lawmen prompting them to retaliate. The wounded suspect was taken to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), where he was pronounced dead upon arrival by an attending physician.

A caliber .45 pistol with a magazine containing five live ammunition and the victim’s bag containing P300, an Android phone, and her postal identification card were recovered from the possession of the slain suspect.

As of press time, the local police are still verifying the real identity of the slain suspect, who was described as wearing a printed sweatshirt, faded “maong” pants, and a black ball cap. He was around 5’7” inches in height, of slim build, and with age ranging from 45-50 years old.

Early Saturday morning, an armed robbery-holdup suspect, a Darussalam Boulevard, Davao City resident, died in a gunfight with local police officers to arrest him for robbing an 18-year-old student.

Silo said that the slain suspect yielded a homemade cal. .38 revolver with three live ammunition, the victim’s bag, and a plastic sachet of shabu worth P16,000.

The official said that the shootout erupted shortly after a young student from Panacan Malagamot went to the Buhangin Police-Community Precinct around 12:59 a.m. Saturday to report that she was held up along the CP Garcia Highway near the Jonas Native BBQ.

It turned out that the victim was walking in the area when two motorcycle-riding men stopped in front of her before the back-rider armed with a handgun declared a holdup.

The suspect, clad in a blue polo, short pants, and wearing a helmet, then grabbed the victim’s Louis Vuitton bag containing her cellphone worth P7,000, cash worth P1,750, and different personal belongings before fleeing.

Silo said that immediately after, local policemen led by Maj. Bernie Suaga conducted a hot pursuit operation and caught up with the suspects in Bgy. Tigatto in Sitio Uyanguren.

“A shootout ensued when the back rider fired shots at the officer prompting one of our men to return fire, hitting the suspect,” said the PRO11 director. The 2nd suspect managed to escape in the direction of Purok Sta. Marina in Bgy. Tigatto is still being hunted as of press time, he added.

Silo said that the 1st suspect was declared dead upon arrival by an attending physician at the SPMC.

He said that the victim’s bag was recovered from the possession of the slain suspect.