Robber misfires, kills pal–but QC heist smells fishier to cops

A robber ended up being killed by his own partner in crime after forcing their way into a Quezon City residence on Friday, police said.

In a commotion with one of the household members, Rogelio Matela was accidentally shot dead by the other robber, who remained unidentified as he managed to escape with the loot—including P1.4 million in cash—from the home of Elizabeth Guison on St. Jude Street, Barangay Bahay Toro.

But how the robbers timed their attack made investigators suspect that they were very much aware of the movement of their victims, who included Guison’s visitors that day.

Insp. Alan de la Cruz, head of the Quezon City Police District’s theft and robbery section, noted that the robbery happened on the day Guison had guests who came over concerning a P5-million debt payment to the woman. The Guisons were also known as the managers of the La Loma cockpit arena, the officer added.

Guison, 61, was expecting payment from business partner Benedict Tan, 26, of Corinthian Gardens, Quezon City. The homeowner was then entertaining another female visitor when Tan, accompanied by John Christian Lim, 26, and Leonilo Salvador, 32, arrived just before 1 p.m.

Tan told Guison that he could only make a partial payment that day—but that P1.4 million in cash was on its way to her house, to be delivered by Tan’s friend Franz Benson Alcones, De la Cruz said.

Later, Tan excused himself to meet Alcones at the main gate of the village, leaving Lim and Salvador behind. It was at this point that two men armed with handguns barged into the house and declared a holdup.

As one robber held the house guests at gunpoint to take their valuables, Matela forced Guison into the master bedroom, which was then occupied by her daughter, Barbara, 25.

When Matela tried to move both women into the bathroom, Barbara fought back and tried to grab his gun, De la Cruz said. In the ensuing struggle, several shots rang out.

This prompted the other robber to rush to the bedroom and fire several shots at Barbara. The woman was hit once in the back but Matela, who inadvertently served as her human shield, took a fatal hit from his own partner, De la Cruz said.

The unidentified robber was about to flee when Tan arrived with Alcones and the P1.4 million. The robber then grabbed the bag containing the money and escaped on a white motorcycle.

Matela, who was identified through an ID card, died on the spot. Barbara remained confined at Metro North Medical Center on Mindanao Avenue as of Saturday.

A police report on the incident showed that aside from the P1.4 million in the bag, the other robber got away with cash taken from the other victims amounting to around P109,000, three smart phones and assorted jewelry.

De la Cruz said the QCPD had begun hunting down the other robber by locating the family of Matela, a resident of Bagong Silang, Caloocan City. Matela’s widow denied any knowledge of her husband’s involvement in criminal activities, insisting he was making a living as a construction worker, he said.