Police search for arms source after Philippine shooting

Manila: Authorities are trying to determine the source of firearms used by a gang of criminals in the Friday evening shootout in suburban Paranaque City that killed 16 people, including a young girl.

"With the amount of firepower and logistics recovered from the slain suspects, we can say that this particular group is well-organised, and part of the task of the police is to establish the sources of these instruments of crime," national police Director General Jesus Versoza said.

Ten suspected members of the dreaded Waray-Waray and Ozamis groups were killed in a shootout with police inside a middle-class residential district in Paranaque City around 8.30pm on Friday as they were about to stage a heist in the area.

According to authorities, the gang was about to ransack a warehouse in the area.

Seized weapons

Versoza said based on the weapons and tools seized from the suspects, the group can be considered well-funded and well-organised.

"Our operatives recovered from the scene of encounter two M203 grenade launchers, four M16 assault rifles, two caliber 45 pistols, a fragmentation grenade, a bolt cutter, a sledgehammer, handheld radios and two utility vehicles," Versoza said.

Similar operations in the past against criminals have led to the arrest of some former and present members of the military and police.

Versoza said he has instructed National Capital Region Police Chief Director Leopoldo Bataoil, to start a background investigation on the slain suspects and identify other suspects who were able to elude arrest in Friday night's operation.

The police chief added that although the operation can be considered a success, it did not come without a price.

"Special Action Force trooper Nixon Vinasoy, four civilians and a security guard were killed as a result of the encounter," he said.

Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chairman Leila De Lima said she will create a team to investigate the shooting incident that also killed seven-year-old Alyanna de Vera and her father Alfonso, 53.

The father and daughter were passing through the area that evening at the United Paranaque Subdivision in their utility vehicle when they were caught in the crossfire between policemen and the alleged syndicate members.

According to De Lima, the special team of investigators will specifically look into possible violations of the human rights.

Ten suspected members of the dreaded Waray-Waray and Ozamis Robbery Group were killed in a shootout with police inside a middle class residential district in Paranaque City around 8.30pm on Friday as they were about to stage a heist in the area.