Police bust notorious robbery gang

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Police have arrested 12 suspected members of a gang believed responsible for several robberies and holdups in the Ilocos and Cordillera regions over the past few months.

Police said the 12 suspects — alleged members of the Sagada-Kalinga gang — were arrested in separate operations of the Ilocos and Cordillera regional police and agents of the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response (PACER) based at Camp Crame.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. presented the gang members to President Arroyo at Malacañang.

"The Filipino people thank you for your hard work. There are more criminal syndicates out there and we await more arrests in days to come," the President said, adding that there would be more arrests today. She did not elaborate.

Police identified the suspects as gang leader John Malidom, Aslo Ambonoc, Heralde Bag-ay, Nelson Bag-ay, Junel Balotoc, Gilbert Ba-lunsat, Peter Bocalen, Edmundo Boswal, Romeo Binoloc, Jonathan Fokan, David Pucalan and Alex Ubido.

Malidom, a native of Mountain Province, is said to be the leader of the gang that is believed to be responsible for several robberies in Benguet, La Union and Pangasinan over the past few months.

Police operations began on Thursday after the gang stole some P280,000 from Julie’s restaurant and some P119,000 from bus passengers in a highway robbery in Tuba, Benguet.

Senior Superintendent Pat Hernandez, Ilocos regional intelligence officer, said victims of the robberies in Tuba cooperated with the police, leading to the arrest of Malidom, Ubido and Fokan in Binalonan, Pangasinan on Thursday.

Follow-up operations on Friday and Saturday led to the arrest of two other gang members in Urdaneta City, three in Pugo, La Union and four in Baguio City. The police also seized assorted firearms, ammunition, fragmentation grenades and motorcycles the gang used in their criminal activities.

Benguet police director Senior Superintendent Conrado Miñano said the suspects were also responsible for the robbery of another restaurant in Buguias, Benguet, robberies of a hardware store and a church in Pugo and another robbery in Urdaneta City.

Miñano said the gang was planning to rob a family in Mankayan, Benguet shortly before they were captured.

Meanwhile, the Valenzuela City police also arrested Saturday night three members of a gang that has been preying on the drivers and passengers of FX taxis plying the North Luzon Expressway.

Valenzuela City police chief Senior Superintendent Leopoldo Ureña identified the suspects as Junel Pineda, 35; Juanito Cadaing, 32; and Rolando Oreo, 33, all of Cadaing Compound in Brgy. Sta. Quiteria, Caloocan City. The suspects were members of the Sudoy-Sudoy gang.

Policemen patrolling the North Expressway responded to calls for help from a victim whom the three men held up at Gen. T. de Leon street.

The policemen pursued the suspects who were fleeing from the Torres Bugallon Bridge to a squatters’ area on Calle Onse and captured the three men.

Urena identified the policemen as Police Officer 3 Miguel Capangyarihan, P02s Lotgardo Niedo and Ruslie Salas and PO1s Ernesto Santos, Hoover Ireneo and Doelethon Gatdula.

Police recovered from the suspects a .38 caliber revolver, a fan knife, a knife with a scabbard, a brown bag containing four pillow cases, assorted keys, a black bag and a wallet belonging to one Fabio Maniulit with P400 in cash and identification cards. - With Paolo Romero, Pete Laude, AFP