The victim, identified only through his police nameplate as "Benedicto," suffered stab and bullet wounds in different parts of the body and died on the spot.
The assailants were armed with handguns and knives. They took with them cash and personal belongings of the passengers.
Initial reports showed that the Verra Aladin Transport bus (TVZ-153) was cruising the North Expressway in San Fernando, Pampanga when the robbers, posing as passengers, announced the heist.
Benedicto, who was in uniform, tried to put up a fight and pulled out his service firearm and exchanged gunfire with the robbers but he was shot in the abdomen and the five men ganged up on him.
He was stabbed repeatedly in the chest and died instantly inside the moving bus. The robbers then took the personal belongings of the other passengers and ordered bus driver, Edwin Nugid, to stop in Balintawak, Quezon City.
Three of the robbers stepped out of the vehicle in that area while the remaining two got off at Quezon Avenue. Police are now conducting follow-up operations.
Meanwhile, police rounded up yesterday suspects in the robbery and slaying of a Chinese businessman last Saturday in Barangay Holy Spirit, Quezon City.
Samuel Suyos, 27, his younger brother Victor, 22, Ramonito Fernandez, 29, and Nestor Mercado, 30, are now detained at the Central Police District and are awaiting proper charges.
According to Senior Inspector Rodolfo Jaraza, CPD Central Investigation Division chief, the suspects have been involved in other robberies and holdups along Commonwealth and Quezon Avenues.
PO3 Rogelio Esteves said that the four robbers were arrested at about 5 p.m. in Letre, Malabon after investigators got hold of a receipt from a rent-a-car shop which the suspects used in a series of robberies.
Jovencio Wong, 22, was shot dead inside his family’s hardware store after he tried to help his mother Nancy while the assailants were robbing her. More than P200,000 in cash and other valuables were taken.
Authorities were able to recover the rented car of the suspects, a gray Nissan Sentra (UTD-774) and two caliber .38 revolvers.
Esteves added that there are more people involved with the arrested robbers and that they could possibly make an arrest as early as "tomorrow morning."
Nancy Wong, manager of the family-owned WKC Hardware Co. located at Commonwealth Avenue, Barangay Holy Spirit, was about to close shop at about 6 p.m. when the suspects’ car stopped in front of the shop.
Three of the robbers alighted and robbed her. Jovencio spotted what was going on and tried to help his mother but Mercado shot him in the chest.
The four then took Wong’s handbag and other valuables and sped off. Police sources said that the suspects rent cars and use them in their crime sprees.
According to the elder Suyos, they rented the car from Budoy’s Car Rental service on 13th Avenue in Cubao. They paid P10,500 in cash for the Nissan Sentra and had been using it for about a week now. – Matthew Estabillo