Bank teller, 2 guards killed in Cavite mall heist

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Philippines – A bank teller and two security guards were killed in a P5-million robbery inside a mall in Dasmariñas City in Cavite on Saturday, police said.

Security guard Felipe Cipres died on the spot while Ray Tingco, a teller at the Robinsons Bank inside Robinsons Place in Barangay (village) Pala-pala, was declared dead on arrival at the hospital due to multiple gunshot wounds, Senior Superintendent John Bulalacao, Cavite police director, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a text message.

Another bank security guard, Melu Quinabandal, who was also wounded when the security guards traded shots with the robbers, died a few hours later in the same hospital, he said.

Bulalacao said an initial report from the Dasmariñas police said the teller, escorted by two security guards, was walking inside the mall carrying P5 million to the JMY money changer shop, also in the mall, when they were attacked by a group of five robbers at around 10 a.m.

Bulalacao said the liaison officer of JMY money changer, a certain Eduardo Noel Malayba, was with the victims but was not hurt in the shooting.

The robbers fled with the P5 million.

Some of them might have been wounded in the shooting judging from bloodstains  on their escape route, said Bulalacao.

“We are still investigating how the suspects were able to bring in the firearms inside the mall,” said Bulalacao.

Robinsons Place was temporarily closed down by the mall management while the investigation continued, the police officer said.