Bridge bandit falls

Manila police trackers finally solved the series of robberies on the Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard bridge in Sta. Mesa with the arrest of a notorious holdupman at his hideout in Sampaloc, Manila.

Suspect Rolando Duque, 33, single, jobless, of 1682 Mindanao Avenue, Sampaloc, was positively identified by his latest victim in a police lineup as the person who held him up inside a passenger jeepney in Sta. Mesa, Manila past midnight of Sept. 6.

In that incident, Cesar Ian Santos, 19, student, of 1966 Kasama Street, Sta. Mesa was shot and wounded by a holdupman when he refused to part with his cellular phone.

The same bullet hit another male passenger identified as Jose Bayo, 23, of Sampaloc. Bayo died four days later at the Philippine General Hospital.

Information gathered by Chief Inspector Florante de los Arcos, chief of the University Belt police community precinct, showed that bystanders and sidewalk vendors in the area heard a gunshot coming from a passenger jeepney at about 1:20 a.m. on Sept. 6. Later, they saw the suspect holding a gun and alighting from the jeepney.

After establishing the identity of the suspect, De los Arcos, together with Inspector Cesario Tubog, chief of the Gulod police community precinct, conducted a 12-day surveillance of the area.

On Sept. 18, Duque was apprehended as he was about to stage another holdup with cohort Victor Pacunayan, 37, of 3479 Int. 59 Paltok Street, Sta. Mesa. Seized from the suspects were two fan knives.

After positive identification by the student-victim, Duque was charged with illegal possession of deadly weapon, robbery, frustrated murder and homicide. – Nestor Etolle