Police, public team up to collar 7 rob suspects

The combined efforts of policemen pounding the beat and concerned citizens quick to alert authorities led to the arrest of suspected armed robbers in separate incidents on Monday night in Quezon City.

Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Senior Supt. Richard Albano also attributed the arrests to the checkpoints set up by policemen in line with the ongoing nationwide gun ban.

Albano said that aside from violating the gun ban, the seven would likewise be charged with robbery and possession of illegal drugs.

“We call on the public to come forward and file complaints against these men if they were victimized,” he added.

Four of the seven suspects were apprehended by members of the Talipapa police station, according to police chief Supt. Michael Macapagal, after they received a tip from a woman about an ongoing robbery at the Balintawak Market on Edsa at 4:30 p.m. on Monday.

They were identified as Joseph Madrigal, 29; Albert Mariano, 19; Raffy Morales, 36; and Arnel Bacus, 20, all residents of Quezon City.

Their victim, businesswoman Myrna Palero, said she lost P7,000 in cash and two cell phones after the suspects snatched her bag.

The four men were later spotted in another area in the market, as if looking for another victim. The police, however, arrested them after Palero confirmed that they were the ones who took her bag.

Palero recovered her valuables but only P2,000 remained of the money while one of her cell phones was missing.

Seized from the four men were three .38-cal. revolvers, a fan knife and four sachets of what was believed to be “shabu.”

At 7:30 p.m., Macapagal’s men arrested two more men, this time at the Mindanao Market in Barangay (village) Tandang Sora, after they were caught in the act of robbing a fruit vendor.

Macapagal said his men were on patrol when they chanced upon Edwin Suarez, 39, and Bong Nova, 31, grabbing the beltbag of Lucila Acoba, 56.

Meanwhile, the seventh suspect, 21-year-old Rex Roa, was arrested as he was walking behind a woman on Dupax Street in Barangay Old Balara with a .38-cal. gun hidden under his shirt.

Batasan police station commander Ramon Pranada said that several robberies had been reported in the area, with students as the victims.