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16 killed in Philippine metro shootout

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-06 11:38

MANILA -- Sixteen people, including five civilians, were killed in bloody clashes between police and suspected robbery gang members in Metro Manila Friday night, the online news network ABS-CBN News reported Saturday.

Director Leopoldo Bataoil, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office, said that one police commando was also killed in the deadly gun battle in Paranaque city at around 8:00 pm Friday night, the news report said.

Police said the slain suspected robbers are with Waray-Waray and Ozamis robbery groups. Three gang members managed to escape while four are now in police custody.

Local media reported that at least two civilians, including a seven-year-old, were allegedly killed by police officers who mistook the victim family's van as the vehicle loaded with gang members and fired deadly shots.

Three other slain civilians have not yet been identified. It is also unclear how they were killed. And three more civilians who were caught in the clashes were wounded, police said.

Bataoil appealed for calm following the civilian death report and vowed to carry out probes that would result in charges filed against policemen who fired indiscriminately.