Arrested were Ruen "Yawa" Secretaria, Romualdo "Maldo" Tabura and Ritchel Ygot when they were about to disembark from a vehicle upon reaching V. Aranas street.
Police sources said Secretaria is considered the most notorious personality in barangay Ermita who has been in and out of jail for robbery and snatching incidents.
Yesterday, victims Benjie Limotan, Jupiter Tudtud, and Crisanto Manzano all of legal ages boarded the vehicle at Lourdes compound in Punta Princesa bound for Colon.
The perpetrators were already in the vehicle and upon reaching Tres de Abril, still in Punta Princesa, they reportedly declared a holdup. Secretaria was armed with a knife, while Tabura had a .45 pistol.
Ygot was reportedly the one who grabbed the mobile phones of the victims who did not resist.
That time Gornez came from home and was on his way to his office when upon reaching Natalio Bacalso avenue, the victims hailed his car and asked for assistance because of what happened.
Thus Gornez accommodated the victims in his car and made a U-turn where upon reaching the corner of Tres de Abril and Natalio Bacalso they inquired from the people there if they saw three men who fit the description given by the victims.
They were told that the men had just boarded a jeepney that was on its way to V. Aranas so they went scouring the area until upon reaching a chapel there, Secretaria and Tabura were spotted by the victims.
According to Gornez the two had already changed shirts but Tudtud was certain they were the ones who victimized them so he hugged Secretaria immediately and eventually punched him.
Ygot on the other hand tried to elude by running toward an interior portion but with the help of barangay tanods of Duljo-Fatima he was arrested.
The .45 pistol and the knife were recovered but the mobile phones of the victims were nowhere to be found in which Gornez believed could have been passed on already to cohorts in the area.