2 killed, 4 wounded in Pampanga 'shootout'

At least two suspected robbers were shot dead while four of their companions were injured Wednesday afternoon in a shootout with policemen shortly after a bank robbery in Pampanga. Superintendent Audie Atienza, acting chief of San Fernando town in Pampanga, said six robbers had just robbed a Union Bank branch at San Agustin village when policemen tried to stop them. "We conducted a dragnet operation and we encountered them. They defied our checkpoint so we had no recourse but to neutralize them," Atienza said in an interview on dzRH radio. He said police are still trying to identify the suspects. Two of them died while the other four were wounded and brought to the nearest PNP hospital. Initial investigation showed the robbery took place at 1:30 p.m. at the bank. The security system's silent alarm went off during the robbery, tipping police to the crime. Police manning checkpoints around the area intercepted the suspects' blue Hyundai van about a kilometer from the bank. "As of now we are still trying to determine how much was taken. But as of now we can say we have recovered the loot," Atienza said.-GMANews.TV