Off-duty cop foils robbery inside Pasay-bound jeep

Three robbers realized too late that they chose the wrong passenger jeepney to rob when they tried to pull off a heist early Monday.

A member of the police Special Action Force (SAF) happened to be inside the vehicle.

One of the suspects was killed when he tried to stab Police Officer 1 Rhenel Rue, 29, assigned with the PNP-SAF 2nd Battalion of Police Regional Office 3 based at Subic Bay Freeport in Zambales province.

Police Officer 3 Bernardo Cayabyab, of the Manila Police District (MPD) homicide section, said three men had flagged down the Pasay City-bound jeepney at Plaza Sta. Cruz around 1 a.m.

Upon reaching Padre Burgos Avenue, the three took out their fan knives and a handgun and declared a holdup.

Rue immediately introduced himself as a policeman, but one of the suspects tried to stab him. Rue took out his gun and shot the suspect.

The suspect’s two companions then jumped off the vehicle and disappeared.
The jeepney driver, Leonardo Espinosa, drove to the MPD headquarters along UN Avenue to report the robbery, bringing with him the body of the slain suspect and Rue.

Cayabyab told the Inquirer that the suspects probably did not believe Rue when he introduced himself as a policeman.

“Rue is a rookie who looks younger than his age. He was on his way to Pasay to catch a bus to Subic where he was supposed to report for work,” Cayabyab added.

Three of Rue’s fellow passengers told police how the policeman foiled the robbery and how one of the suspects ended up dead.

A seven-inch fan knife was found near the body of the slain suspect.