2 cops linked to Pasig market robbery

MANILA, Philippines—Two rookie policemen have been tagged as suspects in the brazen daylight robbery and shooting at the Pasig public market that resulted in the deaths of two market collectors and a traffic enforcer.

Police said the suspects, Police Officers 1 Yure Jason Afos and Noel Breboneria, both assigned to the Philippine National Police’s Headquarters Support Service, have been charged with robbery with multiple homicide at the Pasig Prosecutor’s Office.

Superintendent Alfredo Calama-an, officer-in-charge at the Pasig police, said one arrested suspect, identified as Rey Rufino, confessed to his crime and told investigators that, together with the two policemen, he robbed and shot dead Ruel Malimban and Juanito Molina at the Mega Public Market in Pasig City shortly before noon on Saturday.

Jonathan Mariano, a traffic enforcer who ran after the robbers, was also shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire with them.

Calama-an said Rufino boarded a jeepney to escape but was caught by the Pasig policemen on motorcycles. The police seized from him cash amounting to P112, 000, which was allegedly stolen from the market collectors.

After an interrogation, Rufino, a former Marines enlisted man, gave the names of his companions, Calama-an said.

The two policemen were later positively identified by other witnesses in the market, said Calama-an, who noted that the suspects were fresh graduates of the Philippine National Police Service Training program where they were classmates.

“Perhaps, they wanted easy money and they thought they could easily get away. But we won’t stop hunting them as their kind smears the police’s good name,” Calama-an said of the two policemen, who have gone into hiding.