Manila cop wounded in Tondo heist

A policeman was shot when he responded to a distress call from his 65-year-old neighbor who was robbed of P160,000 worth of jewelry by motorcycle-riding men in front of a barangay hall in Manila, police said Thursday.

PO3 Arlan Ordanza, of the Manila Police District Mobile Patrol Unit (MPD-DMPU), was shot in the left arm by one of four men aboard three motorcycles who held up Arturo Limcangco, of Antonio Rivera Street in Tondo.

A report from Tondo Station 2 said the robbery happened at around 5:20 p.m. last Wednesday in front of the Barangay 236 Zone 2 hall on Antonio Rivera Street.

Police investigators said that before the incident, Limcangco was sitting in front of the barangay hall when three motorcycles, one with two men aboard, approached him.

The lone rider on one of the motorcycles stopped in front of the victim and brandished a .45 caliber pistol, ordering him to hand over his gold necklace and bracelet.

As soon as they got hold of the jewelry, the suspects sped away, prompting the victim to cry for help.

Ordanza, who lives nearby, heard the distress call and immediately ran to the victim’s aid. The fleeing robbers spotted the policeman and fired at him.

A bullet hit Ordanza on the left arm and also damaged a car parked nearby.

The wounded policeman was brought by his neighbors to the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center for treatment.

Operatives of MPD Station 2 are conducting follow-up operations against the suspects, whose identities have not yet been determined.