Two jeepney rob suspects arrested

Police arrested two suspected holdup men while robbing jeepney passengers in Tondo, Manila Wednesday night.

Chief Inspector Antonio Entico, chief of Manila Mayor Lito Atienza’s Special Operations Group (SOG), identified the suspects as Edgar Hugo, 25, of 521 Lacson st., Tondo, and Louie Sigaya, 22, of Dasmariñas, Cavite.

Recovered from the suspects were two fan knives, five wristwatches, a gold necklace and cash in various denominations.

Entico said SOG operatives conducted a stake-out along Road 10 in Tondo after Atienza’s office received reports of rampant holdup incidents there.

At about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Entico’s team spotted a commotion on board a Caloocan City-bound passenger jeepney along Lakandula street near Road 10.

According to Entico, as the police vehicle neared the passenger jeepney, the two suspects jumped off while the passengers shouted, "holdup, holdup"! Police chased the fleeing suspects, who surrendered peacefully when cornered.

As this developed, Quezon City-bound commuters have deplored the police’s inaction over a series of holdup incidents at the Quezon Boulevard underpass in Quiapo.

Early Tuesday morning, a STAR night editor, and several jeepney passengers, were held up by four armed men at the Quezon Boulevard underpass near the approach of España.

After the robbery, STAR editor Mariano Mirasol III and the other victims reported the incident to two plainclothes WPD policemen.

After a check of the scene where the holdup was committed, Mirasol said the policemen just referred them to barangay officials of Barangay 464.

"That’s the problem with our policemen, they pass their responsibility to us," Mirasol quoted Kagawad Francis Cumigad as telling him. – Nestor Etolle