Stock photo / INQUIRER.net
MABALACAT CITY, Pampanga –– Policemen here arrested one of the suspects, who robbed at gunpoint two Koreans of some P7.5 million worth of cash and belongings on May 31, a belated report from the Central Luzon police disclosed Thursday (June 3).
A statement from Brig. Gen. Valeriano de Leon, Police Regional Office 3 director, identified the arrested suspect as Richard Dangayan.
De Leon said the police were conducting follow-up operations to arrest two other suspects.
In a phone interview Thursday, Lt. Col. Soledad Elefanio, this city’s police chief, said Dangayan is the driver of one of the victims.
She said Gihun Lee, Seonjun Park, and Keren Rose Maninggo were inside a residential building of Clark Hills in the Clark Freeport when the robbery took place.
The three were waiting for food delivery before midnight when the doorbell rang.
Thinking it was the delivery guy, one of the Koreans opened the door. But to his shock, two bonnet-wearing armed men outside barged inside and handcuffed the victims.
Dangayan was inside his room at the time and was also handcuffed by the suspects.
The armed men then took the money and belongings of the victims that included P27,000 cash, 5 million Korean won, a Rolex Submariner wristwatch worth P1 million, a P2-million Rolex Ditona wristwatch, a P500,000 gold bracelet, a Samsung Galaxy Z Thom Browne cellular phone worth P180,000, and other valuables.
Elefanio said investigators invited Dangayan to the police station here.
“Nang tiningnan ng imbestigador ang cellphone ni Dangayan, nakita ang mga text message niya sa dalawang robber. Nung interrogation, inamin po niya na kasabwat siya sa ginawa nung dalawang kasama niya,” she said.
(When the investigators looked at the cellphone of Dangayan, they saw text messages to the two robbers. When interrogated, he admitted that he was in cahoots with his two companions.)
The information from Dangayan enabled the police to identify the other suspects, who were still at large.
The police identified them as Reynaldo Beatriz, a former driver of the Korean victims, and a certain “Migs.”
The arrested suspect is facing robbery charges. Manhunt operation had been launched to arrest the two other suspects and possibly recovery of the stolen belongings. INQ
LZB