3 robbers in PNP, AFP camps arrested

Three men believed to be behind a string of robberies inside the headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Quezon City have been arrested although authorities said they were still looking for the fourth member of the group.

Superintendent Ramon Pranada, head of the Cubao police station, identified those arrested as Norman Garcia, 34; Jerry Molina, 20; and his brother, Daniel, 19.

Still at large is their accomplice identified only as Junjun or JY.

Pranada said the group staged at least 12 robberies in Camps Crame—the headquarters of the PNP—and Aguinaldo, the AFP headquarters.

On top of these, they also operated in wet markets in Quezon City.

The three were arrested based on information provided by some of their victims and other witnesses, he added.

According to Pranada, the group was the one which broke into the quarters of Colonel Nelson Chedrome in Camp Aguinaldo last month.

They made off with two cell phones and the military official’s Mazda car which was parked in front of his quarters. The vehicle was later recovered in Angat, Bulacan province.

In Camp Crame, the group was believed to be responsible for the theft of a laptop owned by Superintendent Dennis Agustin Pala as well as a firearm and laptop which belonged to Police Officer 1 Geomar Lundang.

Pranada said that the robbery suspects were arrested at the Murphy market in Cubao, Quezon City, on June 27 after a store owner complained that Jerry Molina had threatened to harm him after he accused Molina and his brother, Daniel, of being robbers.

During questioning, the brothers admitted that they were behind the thefts in the PNP and AFP headquarters.

They also identified their cohorts, leading to the arrest of Garcia at the same market on June 30.

Pranada said that they were preparing to file charges against the three men.