Remaining suspect in QC bus holdups hunted

INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Authorities are on the lookout for one more suspect involved in a series of robbery-holdup incidents victimizing bus passengers in Quezon City, following the arrest of five of his cohorts over the weekend.

Police Chief Superintendent Richard Albano, Quezon City Police District director, identified the arrested suspects as Ariel Adrales, 36; Roger Alaraz, 41; Aquilino Soriano, 52; Jeffrey Reyes, 27; and Bobby Bondoc, 36.

Their arrests stemmed from a robbery incident along the southbound lane of EDSA corner Quezon Avenue, Quezon City last Saturday wherein a Malanday Metro Link bus (TWJ 728) driven by Bondoc was held up by three armed men.

Albano said Bondoc initially pretended innocent as he accompanied his eight victimized passengers to Police Station 10 to file a complaint on the said robbery. Bondoc was also invited for questioning.

However, Bondoc eventually admitted his participation in the robbery as investigators pressed him for more answers as they observed “inconsistencies” in his statements.

Also during the questioning process on Bondoc, other suspects contacted and informed him of their plan to rob his bus once more, not knowing that Bondoc was already under police custody.

As Bondoc pledged cooperation for the arrest of his cohorts, a dragnet operation was immediately launched, but the other suspects’ initial plan, however, didn’t materialize.

Instead, the group robbed a CHER passenger bus with license plate TYW 957 on Sunday, and fled on board a Diane and Keisy taxi with plate number TXF 806.

Operatives failed to arrest the group, until Bondoc guided authorities to Phase 1, Lot 49, Northville in Meycawayan, Bulacan where the four other suspects were arrested.

Albano said the arrested suspects were positively identified by their victims and other witnesses.

The other suspect who remains at large was identified as Tano Adrales.

Apart from the taxi, also recovered from the arrested suspects were a laptop, assorted cellphone units wrist watches, bags, wallets and IDs.

Also seized were six sachets of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, drug paraphernalia, a hand grenade, and three units of caliber .38 pistols.

Albano said they are looking at the possibility of the group’s involvement in previous cases of bus hold-up along EDSA.