24-year-old female cop foils robbery-holdup aboard bus

PO1 Judy Ann de Villa of the Navotas Police Station Special Patrol Unit has been lauded for stopping a bus holdup and arresting the suspect. (Photo by Jodee Agoncillo, INQUIRER.)

MANILA, Philippines —  A homebound Navotas policewoman shot and arrested a Commando gang member who declared a heist inside a bus in Cubao, Quezon City, on Tuesday evening.

PO1 Judy Ann de Villa, 24, of the Navotas Police’s special patrol unit, arrested 39-year-old Juanito “Yoyoy” Arsenio who earlier held up a female bus passenger seated across him.

De Villa told Philippine Daily Inquirer on Wednesday that she was on board a Cher bus from C3 terminal Navotas and was on her way home to Makati around 11:35 p.m. when Arsenio and his two unidentified cohorts rode the bus near Samson College along Edsa soutbound in Cubao. Around 15 people were on the bus that night, she said.

About five minutes later, Arsenio pulled out a handgun and declared a heist. He forcibly took the handbag of the lady passenger who was seated just across him, De Villa said.

Acting on the call of duty, De Villa immediately stood up and introduced herself as a policewoman and pointed her gun at the suspect, she said.

De Villa asked Arsenio to surrender but the latter immediately jumped out of the bus with the bag while pointing his gun at De Villa. His other cohorts — reported to have knives with them — fled in an unknown direction.

Sought for help, De Villa chased the suspect and shot him in the butt when cornered. Arsenio later fell on the ground. De Villa was able to recover the suspect’s .22-calibre revolver loaded with ammunition.

The victim, who disappeared immediately after the robbery, recovered her bag, which was thrown out of the bus by the suspect.

“I never thought they will declare holdup in that area,” De Villa said, with Cubao being  a very busy place. “Wearing my uniform made me more eager in apprehending the suspect,” she said, adding that every person–policeman or not—- should always be alert.

Her superior, Senior Superintendent Dante Novicio, chief of Navotas Police, commended de Villa for her bravery.

Quezon City Police District’s station 7 led by Inspector Ramon Aquiatan immediately responded and brought the suspect to Quirino Memorial Medical Hospital.

PO3 Marlon dela Vega said Arsenio, currently undergoing surgical operation, would be charged with robbery-holdup, attempted homicide and violation of Republic Act 10591, the law against illegal possession of firearms.  SFM