Plastic firm loses P.276-M cash to holduppers

Four armed payroll robbers struck anew in Valenzuela City and carted away unmolested some P3 million in cash intended for the weekend salaries of workers of a plastic manufacturing firm Friday.

Vilma del Rosario Gonzales, 28, secretary of RN Plastic Manufacturing Inc. located at 238 Gerry Angeles street, Paso de Blas, Valenzuela City told police that four unidentified armed men divested her and her co-employee Sonny Ang of P276,000 in payroll money. Gonzales reportedly had withdrawn the cash from a Security Bank branch in Paso de Blas and was on her way to their office aboard a red Mazda van with Ang when their path was blocked by four armed men at about 11 a.m.

The suspects casually walked toward the victims’ vehicle and fired several shots in the air to scare Gonzales and Ang.

The holdup men ordered the duo to open their car’s door and hand over the payroll money.

Hesitant to give the money, a suspect reportedly pistol-whipped Gonzales, hitting her on the head.

After divesting the victims of the cash, the suspects commandeered a passing blue Pajero driven by one Wilmore Villare and sped-off toward De Sotto street also in Paso de Blas where they transferred to another getaway vehicle.

The Valenzuela City police operatives tried to catch-up with the suspects but failed.

Meanwhile, Mayor Bobbit Carlos, to boost the crime fighting capability of his policemen under Superintendent Jose Marcelo, gave last week four brand new mobile cars to the city police.

"The patrol cars are part of the program to continue upgrading police capability in the fight against criminality," Carlos said.

The move Carlos added was also in response to the President’s call for all Metro mayors to intensify their drive against terrorism in the spate of bombing incidents in the metropolis and in other localities.