Same group behind 2 bank robs in Parañaque?

Police released yesterday the picture of a bank robber to bolster their claim that the robberies at two bank branches in Parañaque City last month were pulled off by the same group of suspects.

Metro Manila police chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco said the suspect, Rodolfo Amistoso, was identified by a security guard and a building caretaker as the man who shouted "Huwag makialam, sandali lang ‘to" while shooing bystanders away as his companions were already inside the Equitable-PCIBank located along Ninoy Aquino Ave., in Barangay Sto. Nino at 9:15 p.m. last Friday.

Velasco said Amistoso was one of the five suspects arrested and released by the Parañaque City police in connection with the Prudential Bank branch robbery last Feb. 12.

Superintendent Ronald Estilles, Parañaque police chief said Amistoso and his companions were arrested inside a van in Las Piñas last Feb. 17 . The van was identified by brothers, Mark and Phillip Lanada, as the vehicle the group used in their robbery operation. The Lanadas were arrested in Banate, Iloilo, four days after they robbed the Prudential Bank.

However, Estilles said they were forced to release Amistoso and four of his companions after witnesses and Prudential Bank officials failed to identify them. The sixth suspect, Elvin Aranas, was sent to jail after being positively identified by bank security guards.

However, before releasing Amistoso and his companions, Estilles had their pictures taken and was included in the police rogue gallery.

Estilles’ instinct proved him right when Amistoso surfaced again and joined the Equitable-PCIBank branch robbery last Friday. He was positively identified by witnesses through the pictures Estilles kept.

Aside from Amistoso, one of his companions in the Equitable-PCIBank robbery was only identified by his alias as Junior Buwang, who was pointed to by witnesses as among those who entered the bank.

Estilles said they are still gathering witnesses to identify Junior Buwang as among those who robbed the Prudential Bank.

The Parañaque Police is also coordinating with the Bulacan PNP provincial command amid reports that the same group was behind a jewelry shop robbery last November wherein they killed a police officer and two traffic enforcers upon their escape.

Though heavily-armed the NCRPO and the intelligence group of the Philippine National Police (PNP) are jointly conducting relentless follow-up operations to neutralize the group, believed to be headed by a certain "Tatay."

Police are also baffled as to the motive of the robbery group considering that the money they took in the twin bank robberies totalled only P500,000. "With all their high-powered weapons, why would they risk their lives in exchange for a small amount of money," asked a police intelligence agent.

In both robberies, the police noted that the stolen getaway vehicles used by the suspects could fetch more than P1 million alone. "They could already earn more money by selling the stolen luxury vehicles so there’s no need for them to stage bank robberies anymore," the puzzled intelligence officer said.

Estilles said they are still digging into the real motive behind the twin robberies. At the same time, Estilles ordered an increased police visibility in areas where banks are located to prevent robbers from striking again.

The robberies at two bank branches in Parañaque City last month were pulled off by the same suspects, police said yesterday. This came after one of the five suspects arrested and released by the Parañaque City police in connection with the Prudential Bank branch robbery on Feb. 12, was positively identified by witnesses as among those who struck at the Equitable-PCIBank branch on Feb. 28. – With Nikko Dizon