Gasoline station in Valenzuela robbed of P18,000

MANILA, Philippines—Thieves posing as customers struck at a gasoline station, getting away with over P18,000 worth of the business’ earnings in Valenzuela City, early Sunday, police reports available on Monday showed.

The police are now looking for two suspects, one still unidentified while the other, named as Fernando Villar Jr. of Marilao, Bulacan, already on the list of the wanted criminals in Valenzuela after figuring out in another robbery incident just in July.

Police reports indicated that at around 1 a.m. on Sunday, two men, riding a motorcycle, stopped at the Caltex gas station along MacArthur Highway in Malinta, Valenzuela, supposedly to gas up.

However, one of the men got off the motorcycle and walked towards the cashier where, at gunpoint, he asked the attendant to open the cashier drawer and give him the money inside, worth a total of P18,190.

The man then fired his gun at the ground before getting back up on the motorcycle and fleeing away towards the direction of Karuhatan. Police said the gas station staff and other witnesses positively identified Villar from the police station’s rogue gallery.

This was the second time in as many weeks that a gasoline station was targeted by thieves in the Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela (Camanava) area.

The first robbery happened on August 12 at a Petron Gas Station at the corner of Epifanio delos Santos Ave. and A. de Jesus St. in Barangay (village) 87, Caloocan City.

The robbers, also riding a motorcycle, posed as customers before breaking into the cashier and taking away P9,000 worth of cash, three cell phones worth a combined P7,300, a wallet with P300 in it and a bag containing accessories.

One of the robbers also fired at the floor before fleeing. Both cases are still under investigation.