2 rookie cops tagged in market robbery, killings

Two rookie policemen who had just completed the Philippine National Police (PNP) Service Training have been tagged as the suspects in Saturday’s brazen daylight robbery at the Pasig City public market which left two market collectors and a traffic enforcer dead.

Superintendent Alfredo Calama-an, Pasig police officer in charge, identified the lawmen as Police Officers 1 Yure Jason Afos and Noel Breboneria, both assigned at the Philippine National Police Headquarters Support Service.

They were charged with robbery with multiple homicide at the city prosecutor’s office after another suspect, Rey Rufino, a former member of the Philippine Marines who was arrested by the police, tagged them as his accomplices.

The three held up and shot dead market collectors Ruel Malimban and Juanito Molina at the Mega Public Market shortly before noon on Saturday.

Jonathan Mariano, a traffic enforcer, tried to stop them but they shot and killed him, too.

Calama-an said Rufino tried to escape by riding in a jeepney but Pasig policemen on motorcycles caught him. Seized from him was the P112,000 in cash taken from the market collectors.

During questioning, Rufino told probers the names of his accomplices.

“Perhaps, they wanted easy money and they thought they could easily get away [with it.]  But we won’t stop looking for them as they are the kind of policemen who smear the PNP’s good name,” Calama-an said.

He added that since the robbery, the two have yet to report for work.