TACLOBAN CITY– A robbery at the Grandtours Terminal in Catbalogan City on Saturday evening, March 28, escalated into a violent shootout, leaving two suspects dead, one injured, authorities reported.
The incident occurred around 7:35 p.m. in Barangay 3, just meters from the Catbalogan City Police Station. Police, who were nearby preparing for a checkpoint operation, immediately responded after hearing gunfire.
Initial investigation showed that three armed men entered the terminal’s cashier room, held up employees, and took cash and mobile phones. Terminal owners, identified as Jan, 39, and Mik, 34, monitored the situation via CCTV and pursued the suspects while armed, prompting an exchange of gunfire.
Two suspects, identified as Jer and Rob, were shot during the confrontation and rushed to Samar Provincial Hospital. Jer was declared dead on arrival, with a .45-caliber firearm, P15,480 in cash, and a mobile phone recovered.
Rob sustained gunshot wounds and remains hospitalized; authorities recovered a bladed weapon and clothing used in the crime.
The third suspect, alias “Ado,” initially escaped but was tracked down early Sunday, March 29, along the national highway near Barangay Lagundi in Calbiga.
When confronted, he allegedly fired at police, resulting in a shootout that left him dead upon arrival at the hospital. Ado is reportedly a resident of Pangasinan, according to Rob.
Police confirmed that officers were already in the area for a separate operation, allowing them to respond quickly. A Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) team processed the site, and authorities are investigating the suspects’ possible links to other crimes in the region.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
