President alarmed by armed resto robberies

President Gloria Arroyo has expressed concern over the rash of armed robberies in restaurants patronized by wealthy Filipino and Chinese businessmen.

Reports showed that it is not only in Metro Manila where robbers divest customers of famous restaurants of their cash and jewelry but also in the provinces. The latest restaurant hit by the robbers was the Port Area Grille located along P. Guevarra street in Barangay Little Baguio in San Juan where 16 customers, including a Mandaluyong City councilor, were victimized.

According to Metro Manila police chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco, President Arroyo relayed her concern over the rising cases of restaurant robberies to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., in a recent meeting.

"President Arroyo has expressed concern over the rash of restaurant robberies and immediately directed PNP chief Ebdane to do something about it," said Velasco.

Ebdane, in turn, directed Velasco to exert his utmost in solving the restaurant robberies.

On Wednesday night, a group of robbers entered Carlos Drugstore located at the corner of New York street and E. Rodriguez Avenue in Barangay Immaculate Concepcion in Quezon City and carted away a cash register containing P29,000. They proceeded to the Port Area Grille restaurant in San Juan and at gunpoint divested the 16 customers, mostly businessmen, of their cash and jewelry.

Velasco is presently coordinating with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to trace the owner of the gray Toyota Revo (plate number WKP145) used by the suspects in the twin robberies.

Velasco refused to reveal the progress of their investigation of the robberies but he assured newsmen his men are "working feverishly to get the suspects."

However, a source at the Eastern Police District (EPD) claimed that a group of dismissed police and military personnel were behind the twin robberies. The same group also pulled off the heist at the Mann Hann restaurant along P. Guevarra street last June 4. The San Juan police are presently determining whether the suspects in the Mann Hann robbery who have already been identified also took part in the Port Area Grille heist. – Non Alquitran