Robbers kill 3 in Pasay

Three employees of a handicrafts shop were hogtied and bludgeoned to death by robbers who sneaked into the store in Pasay City sometime after midnight yesterday.

Police said several robbers sneaked into the Jeepney Shopping Center at 1913 Taft Avenue Extension, Pasay City sometime after 12:30 a.m. and either at gun or knife point, gagged and bound the hands of security guard Gilbert Esmaguilar, janitor Felix Aranex and wood designer Delfin Binahan.

Then they herded the three employees to the shop’s second floor where they repeatedly bludgeoned the victims to death.

Probers said the robbers then forcibly opened the locked doors of owner-manager Jerry Go Lim’s room where they helped themselves to the cash and other valuables.

Police said the robbers took the Honda Civic of Lim parked in front of the shop, using it as a get-away vehicle.

The bloody robbery was discovered by another stay-in employee, Rico Victor, when he awoke at around 5:30 a.m. and found the three bodies.

Victor had reportedly slept in the back of the store where he could not hear the robbers and fortunately escaped their killing spree.

Senior Police Officer 2 Eduardo Cabria, case investigator, said they were seriously considering an "inside job," saying the midnight intruders may have been known by the three victims, who may have allowed them into the shop.

Meanwhile, a 49-year-old businessman was stabbed dead Tuesday night allegedly by his neighbor because of a disagreement over the payment for the construction of a water pump in their community in Valenzuela City.

Police said victim Jesus Tagum, married, of 21 Atis St., Antonio Subdivision, Barangay Dalandanan sustained multiple stab wounds in the body.

Suspect Danilo Buban, 41, married, a welder, was arrested by PO1s Ronald Bautista, Elmer Ocampo, and Pepito Namoc of the Police Community Precinct (PCP) 6 in De Leon Compound, Barangay Lugunan.

Police said the incident happened in front of Tagum’s house at around 6 p.m. Tagum had gone out of his house to look for his pedicab when he was attacked from behind by Buban, who fled right after the stabbing.

According to Bautista, the killing may have been caused by a grudge Buban allegedly held against the victim.

Police learned that recently, Buban, Tagum, and some neighbors agreed to have a water pump built in their neighborhood and that they would collectively pay for it. But Tagum reportedly did not agree with the proposed terms of payment. This allegedly irked Buban which led to an argument between the two men days before the killing.– Nikko Dizon