Text gives jeepney robbers away

Because of a single text message, five suspected members of a robbery gang responsible for the string of jeepney holdups in the northern part of Metro Manila are now behind bars.

Senior Superintendent Benjardi Mantele, Caloocan City police chief, said Enrique Garcia, 37, of 719 Pag-ibig Street, Tondo, Antonio de la Cruz, of 1550 Cavite Street, Bustos, Bulacan, and Rogelio Balatbat, of 3616 Jose Abad Santos, Tondo, were arrested after they contacted through text their two cohorts. Their two cohorts – the driver of the jeepney and a companion – were at the police station accompanying victimized passengers in filing a report.

"Asan na kayo? Nandito na kami sa bahay, pumunta na kayo at hatiin na natin ito (Where are you? We’re already home, come here so we can divide the loot)," said the message sent by one of the three suspects to Efrin Lingat, 33, of Dagat-Dagatan, Navotas, and Robert Balatbat, 35, of 1048 Solis Street, Tondo.

Superintendent Dionicio Borromeo, the station’s Intelligence and Investigation Division chief, said that at about 7:30 p.m. Thursday, three armed men held up the passenger jeepney driven by Lingat along Dagat-Dagatan Avenue in Caloocan City.

Victims Clodette de Vega and Celia Aquisap, however, got suspicious of the driver and his aide Balatbat, when the two hesitated to accompany them to the police station to report the incident.

The victims told the police their observation, prompting Borromeo to interrogate Lingat and Balatbat.

In the course of the investigation, Lingat’s cellular phone received a text message. Investigators borrowed the phone from the driver and read the incriminating message.

Borromeo formed a crack team, and guided by Lingat and Balatbat, they raided the suspects’ safehouse on Labo Street in Solis, Tondo at around 10 p.m.

Police chanced upon the three other suspects while in the act of sniffing shabu.

Police recovered from the trio the victims’ wallets, important documents and shabu paraphernalia. Missing were the cash and jewelry of the victims, which had an estimated value of P240,000. — With Jerry Botial