Parañaque cops free 5 bank rob suspects

The Parañaque City police released last Tuesday five of the six bank robbery suspects they arrested for lack of positive identification by witnesses.

Released were Rodolfo Leyte, 64; Fidel Tipo; Reynaldo Bacolod, 49; Rodolfo Amistoso, 48; and Arnel Ramirez, 36.

They were arrested Monday night with Alvin Aranas, 22.

City police chief, Superintendent Roland Estilles, explained that among the suspects arrested last Monday, only Aranas was positively identified by a witness.

"We had to release the others because of lack of positive identification by witnesses," Estilles said in a phone interview.

Aranas remains in detention with the robbery group’s alleged leader, Marko Lanada, 24, and his brother, Philip, 21. The Lanadas were arrested in Iloilo Sunday night. Criminal charges have been filed against the three before the city prosecutor’s office.

But Estilles added that one of those released managed to give a description of the robbery group’s supposed mastermind whom they called "Master."

"He said he saw ‘Master’ a few times. But this was not enough for us to detain and file charges against him. We can only file charges if he has been identified by a witness, if there is concrete evidence against him, or he himself admits to the crime," Estilles explained.

Moreover, the man who knew "Master" refused to put anything down in writing, Estilles said.

"Master" was described to be 50 to 55 years old, 5’9" to 5’11" tall, has medium-build and dark complexion.

Police records showed that Leyte, Tipo, Bacolod, and Amistoso were arrested while on board a Mazda van (UAY 895) in CAA Compound in Las Piñas City.

Lanada told the police that the van was one of the group’s getaway vehicles.

Ramirez was arrested inside the alleged safehouse of the two female members of the robbery group in Las Piñas while Aranas was arrested in Taguig. – Nikko Dizon