In brief
On Tuesday, a shootout in Bacoor City, Cavite, ended with five members of a gang known as "Gapos" dead and two on the run. Police had spotted them before a planned robbery of a wealthy resident, leading to a car chase and gunfire. The authorities are still verifying the gang’s links to other jewelry store and pawnshop heists in the Calabarzon region, while a manhunt continues for the remaining suspects.
On Tuesday, November 4, Philippine police in Bacoor City, Cavite, south of Manila, killed five suspects in a shootout while a motorcycle‑mounted pair of gang members escaped, says Xinhua.
Xinhua reported that police had spotted the group before they could execute a planned robbery of a wealthy resident in an exclusive subdivision, prompting a car chase that ended in a battle of gunfire.
During the fight, five of the criminals were shot dead. Police recovered the body of one of the dead men inside the subdivision and later identified two others as former participants in a jewelry store robbery in Cavite.
Two members of the group evaded arrest on a motorcycle and are currently being pursued. The Philippine National Police have launched a manhunt to capture the fugitives, according to a statement released after the confrontation.
The gang, locally known as Gapos, has been suspected of targeting large commercial establishments and private subdivisions throughout the Calabarzon region, south of Manila, for a series of robberies.
Police officials, following Xinhua’s coverage, are still verifying the gang’s links to a wave of jewelry store and pawnshop robberies in Cavite and its neighboring provinces. Inquirer.net reported that two of the slain suspects had connections to a previous jewelry‑shop heist, underscoring the group’s pattern of violent robbery.
The authorities remain vigilant, and updates on the manhunt for the remaining two suspects are expected as investigative work continues to map the gang’s broader criminal network.
