Three men allegedly belonging to the same group of robbers were arrested in separate police operations Wednesday in Quezon City.
Michael Sorbito, 21, Edcen Ong, 25 and Edwin Gamali, 24, faced charges of robbery, illegal possession of firearms and car theft following their arrest by members of the La Loma police station.
The first two were arrested for allegedly taking the cash and cell phones of two women at gunpoint, while the third ended up behind bars after yielding several bags allegedly snatched from other victims.
Quezon City Police District director Chief Superintendent Richard Albano said Sorbito and Ong even tried to bribe one of the arresting officers, Police Officer 2 Dondon Sultan, with P1,000 for them to be released.
Ong and Sorbito were arrested on Scout Alcaraz Street, Barangay (village) Maharlika, around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, after policemen on patrol saw them on a motorcycle without a license plate.
When frisked, they yielded two loaded .38-cal. homemade revolvers, a Samsung S3 and an iPhone5. Hours later, two women showed up at the police station, claiming they had been robbed by the two men and their two unidentified cohorts.
During interrogation, Ong and Sorbito led police to Gamali, who was later arrested at a lechon (roasted pig) restaurant on A. Bonifacio Avenue.
La Loma police station commander Superintendent Osmundo de Guzman said Ong and Sorbito had standing arrest warrants issued by Manila and Caloocan City courts. Julie M. Aurelio