A Manila police official said the two men, including a dismissed police officer, who were gunned down in Quiapo, Manila on Thursday morning were involved in a series of robbery-hold up incidents.
Lt. Col. John Guiagui, Sta. Cruz Police Station commander, said both Felizardo Pablico, 49 and Reynaldo Nuque, Jr., 40 (a former cop assigned at the Caloocan City Police Station) are members of the Sputnik Gang.
They have allegedly held countless robberies in Manila, Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela), and Bulacan.
Police records showed that the two were arrested in November 2020 after they robbed a couple of their cellphones and cash at gunpoint in Sampaloc, Manila.
"Ang modus nila ay riding-in-tandem (Their modus is riding-in-tandem)," Guiagui told reporters in a phone interview. "Ang mga biktima nila ay 'yung mga nagpapautang, nananalo sa sabong (Their victims are those who have money lending businesses, who won in cockfighting matches)."
"Kung walang tip, nagiikot sila, nangunguha ng cellphone (When they don't have tips, they make rounds and snatch cellphones)," he added.
Pablico and Nuque were aboard a public utility jeepney travelling along Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo, Manila on Thursday when they were gunned down by four unidentified motorcycle-riding suspects.
Guiagui said they will obtain closed-circuit television footage of the incident and will conduct backtracking to identify the suspects.
Further investigation is underway.