MANILA, Philippines - Policemen shot dead one of several men who tried to rob an upscale watch store at the Greenbelt 5 mall in Makati City yesterday.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Roberto Rosales said the slain suspect was among a group of heavily armed men who were dressed as members of a police bomb squad when they attempted to rob the Rolex store on the ground floor of the shopping mall.
Rosales said the shootout occurred after the suspects, who were all armed with M-16 rifles, barged into the store and started to shatter the glass display cases with hammers.
Taguig City Mayor Freddie Tinga and his police security escorts were having lunch at a restaurant nearby when they heard the commotion.
The security men, identified as Senior Police Officer 1 Cesar Tiglao and Police Officer 1 Efren Ceniza, immediately responded to the scene, triggering a brief firefight that caused panic at the shopping mall.
One of the suspects was instantly killed while the six others managed to escape.
“We are not yet able to identify him (the slain suspect) nor his companions. But we are reviewing the surveillance camera and might come up with the identity of the slain robber and the group he belongs,” Rosales said.
Rosales said the slain robber was clad in a black shirt with “Bomb Squad” imprinted at the back and the word “Bitag” printed in front.
He said the slain suspect was also wearing fatigue pants and combat boots and armed with an M-16 rifle with an M203 grenade launcher attached.
The other suspects managed to escape even after they were chased by responding lawmen to the basement of the shopping mall where the parking lot is located.
Superintendent Cedric Train, Makati police chief, said one of the suspects who escaped was wounded during the shootout.
“We are conducting investigation as to the identity of the suspect. I am confident that we could easily identify what criminal group they belong. There is only one killed but we believe that there is another one wounded among the six suspects,” he said.
Stephanie Shier, manager of a clothing store nearby, said she saw several men wearing black Bomb Squad uniforms hammering the glass display cabinets of the Rolex store.
“We just saw some armed men, they were wearing Bomb Squad uniforms… and they started hammering the showcases. And from there, I and some customers went inside the stockroom and afterward we heard gunshots for about five minutes,” Shier said.
Shier added the suspects even dragged a man and a pregnant woman out of the store before they started breaking the glass cabinets.
Mayor Tinga, for his part, said he was having a luncheon meeting when he heard gunshots ring out.
“I was in a luncheon meeting when we heard gunshots outside, I didn’t know that my two escorts were shooting it out with those robbers. My escorts were only armed with handguns but they bravely faced the robbers who had long firearms,” Tinga said.
Tinga said he would recommend the promotion of Tiglao and Ceniza for their effort.
Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay said the foiled robbery attempt underscored the need for more security preparation.
“The brazenness of the act is alarming. I suggest that the proper authorities should anticipate a possible surge in brazen and high profile criminal activities,” he said.
Binay also noted the long firearms used by the suspects, which he said, indicated the failure of security forces to restrict their sale and distribution.
Southern Police District director Chief Superintendent Jaime Calungsod ordered a review of the security measures implemented inside the mall.
Calungsod said they are now reviewing the video of the closed circuit television cameras of the mall to determine how the heavily armed suspects were allowed inside the mall.
It was learned that management does not allow policemen with long firearms to enter the shopping mall.
“The mall management must review their security arrangements as they are not fool-proof as shown by the latest incident,” a top police official said.
Though the police have yet to identify the group behind the foiled robbery attempt, several investigators pointed out the method is similar to that of the Alvin Flores robbery gang which also uses police disguise.
The NCRPO said the Alvin Flores gang is behind the robbery of the Waltermart shopping mall in Quezon City, and another store in Malate, Manila.
The same group also robbed a cell phone display store in Pasig City last week.
Rosales called on shopping mall owners and other business establishments in Metro Manila to implement stricter security measures by not allowing heavily armed police officers inside unless accompanied by a marked police patrol car. – With Jose Rodel Clapano