Three members of a gang specialising in robbery and assassination were killed in a shoot-out

Three members of a criminal gang specialising in robbery and assassination were killed in a shoot-out with Philippine police yesterday.One of those slain was believed to be the gunman involved in the killing of junior cabinet member Ramon Aquino, who was gunned down in March as he was being driven to a meeting with President Gloria Arroyo in central Manila, police said.The slain suspects had hijacked a cargo truck loaded with steel bars and were flagged down by a police unit in Caloocan city, north of Manila. A shootout followed, in which the three died, police said in a statement."One of them is rumoured to be one of those responsible for the killing of Public Works Undersecretary Ramon Aquino last March 11," said Senior Superintendent Isagani Reyes, head of the criminal investigation unit in Manila."We are digging further on the suspect's involvement in Aquino's assassination and we are coordinating closely with the investigator-on-case and witnesses," he said.Police had earlier said Aquino's killing could have been politically motivated.Political and vendetta killings are common in the Philippines, and many politicians have armed body guards.