Motorcycle-riding robbers strike in Liloan; one falls

CEBU, Philippines - A man was robbed by motorcycle-riding suspects while waiting for a bus along the national highway in Liloan town evening last Friday, but successfully recovered his belongings with the help of the police.

One of the four suspects, a certain Lester Pumar, was arrested during an entrapment operation conducted the next day.

The victim, Garry Capangpangan, was waiting for a bus bound for the northern town of Bogo when four men in two motorcycles stopped near him. One of the men disembarked, pulled out a gun and pointed the same to the victim’s face while declaring a hold-up.

The man then forcibly took Capangpangan’s bag, which contained a portable DVD player, two Nokia mobile phones, an ATM card, and important documents. 

Capangpangan went to Liloan that day purposely to process his documents and to meet a friend at a private resort there.

Authorities immediately conducted a hot pursuit operation after Capangpangan reported the incident to the Lilo-an police.

SPO1 Caludio Castro Jr. said the entrapment operation was conducted last Saturday night after the victim called the number of one of his mobile phones and convinced the suspect to return his belongings in exchange for money.

The operation led to Pumar’s arrest, but it remains unclear whether or not he was the one who pointed the gun at Capangpangan. Castro described Pumar as a “notorious criminal.” The victim’s belongings were recovered from Pumar’s residence.

Another operation is ongoing for the arrest of the three remaining suspects. — Antoniette T. Parce/JMO (THE FREEMAN)