Suspects in Pasig payroll rob freed

Two employees who robbed their firm in Pasig City of P250,000 in payroll money last Dec. 6 were released yesterday after their employers refused to file charges against them.

The suspects, Don Chua, 26, and Felipe Agustino, 33, driver and mechanic of the Nessin Union Industrial Corporation, respectively, were sent home after their employers, Rodolfo Chua, Oscar Sy and Chua Tuan How, signified their intention not to press charges against them.

Chua is a nephew of a co-owner of the firm, Rodolfo, 59.

Superintendent John Sosito, Pasig City police chief, said Rodolfo, who raised Don since he was a child, decided to forgive him. Rodolfo assured his co-owners that he would pay the balance of the money taken by his nephew and Agustino which was not recovered.

Don, the elder Chua said, will be sent home to his parents in the Visayas.

Sosito said because Rodolfo had forgiven Chua, he had no recourse but to also release Agustino. The firm owners, however, dismissed Agustino from his job.

The firm owners also received from Sisoto yesterday the P80,000 recovered from Chua and Agustino.

Sosito said Chua and Agustino thanked the elder Chua and his business partners for allowing them to spend Christmas with their families.

According to Sosito, the robbery mastermind, Sofronio Sailog, a newly-released convict from the Iwahig Penal Colony, will no longer be subjected to a manhunt because of the absence of a formal complaint.– Non Alquitran