Robbers out on bail hit doc’s QC home, cops say

MANILA, Philippines—Two members of a notorious robbery gang out on bail following their arrest at a beach resort in Zambales province last year allegedly broke into a doctor’s house in Quezon City on Tuesday night and made off with nearly P200,000.

Rodolfo Lalata Jr., 23; his brother Martin, 27; and two other accomplices escaped after they forced their way into the house of Dr. Jeffrey Rosuman on K6th Street in Barangay East Kamias at 8:35 p.m., police said

The doctor had just gotten home while his house helper, Patricia Ragaza, was about to close the gate when the suspects barged into the house, Anonas police station commander Supt. Richard Fiesta of the Quezon City Police District said in a phone interview.

The suspects tied up Rosuman and took him and Ragaza to the room of his 19-year-old daughter, Raiza, Fiesta said. All three were ordered not to leave the room as the robbers ransacked the house.

Taken were Rosuman’s Ruger cal. .33 pistol worth 35,000; a Samsung phone worth P10,000; five watches worth P45,000; several ATM and credit cards; a P60,000 laptop computer and P20,000 cell phone belonging to Raiza; Ragaza’s cell phone costing P3,000 and wallet containing P1,500. The victims later positively identified the Lalata brothers through police file photos of robbery suspects.

The brothers were arrested in March 2014 at a resort in Olongapo City along with Jonathan Cuya—the leader of the Cuya robbery group—his brother Jose and Michael Tolentino following a heist in Cubao, Quezon City. The group has been linked to a string of robberies, including 12 incidents in 2013 alone, in Metro Manila.