Ex-Army colonel hog-tied in Marikina home robbery

MANILA, Philippines–Four armed men ransacked the house of a former Army colonel Tuesday afternoon in Marikina City, leaving him hog-tied after taking cash and valuables, including several appliances and his pistol.

Jesus Jaymalin, 64, later told the police that the danger he earlier faced in military missions in strife-torn villages in Jolo, Sulu province, was nothing compared to the terror that came to his own residence on Narra Road, Barangay (village) Marikina Heights.

An investigator said Jaymalin was tending to his baby granddaughter when the robbers came in through the main door—which was then unlocked—around 2 p.m.

The robbers, who were armed with pistols, first encountered Jaymalin’s helper, Jovito Solano, in the kitchen and forced him to get down on his knees, according to PO3 Rodrigo Febreo of the Marikina police.

When they saw Jaymalin, one of them kicked him in the face when he tried to put up a fight. They then tied his hands with shoelaces and his feet with a shoulder bag strap, then dragged him to the bathroom upstairs. Solano, who started working for the Jaymalins only last week, later joined him.

“He (Jaymalin) feared for the safety of his granddaughter who was sleeping in the living room, so he just did what they asked,” Febreo said.

Within 10 minutes, the robbers were able to take the ex-colonel’s .45-cal. Remington pistol and two loaded magazines; cash amounting to P11,000 (including P1,000 from Solano), a cell phone, a flat screen TV, a computer tablet, a videoke system, and Jaymalin’s old combat uniform.

An investigation showed that prior to the robbery, Jaymalin’s daughter noticed a white Nissan Escapade parked in front of their house around noon that day, while his wife saw two men on a green motorcycle stopping at the same spot around 1:30 p.m.

Both women were already out of the house when the robbers attacked.