With Sunday’s siege of Makati still fresh in their minds, shoppers became witness to a hostage drama at the Glorietta mall at around 11 a.m. when Aries Patolot, 29, of Countryside Village, Pasig City, pulled off a heist at the Sunry’s Money Changer using a fully loaded caliber .38 Dersa Thunder revolver.
Teodorico Sabenoria, 20, a counter checker at Sunry’s told Police Officer 1 Rody Tallud, case investigator, that he was about to hand over a money bag to his co-employee who was waiting at a car outside the mall.
The bag contained some P4 million, mostly foreign currency, was intended for deposit at a nearby bank.
As Sabenoria was walking toward the exit, near Time Zone at the ground floor, the suspect, wearing long sleeves and black slacks approached him and placed his left arm around the employee. The suspect then poked a gun on his right side.
"He (Patolot) said it was a holdup and told me to act normally," he said.
The two men took the escalator and went to the second floor. The suspect directed his victim to a comfort room, and once inside, took the bag containing the money.
"He then ordered me to stay inside the comfort room and leave after 10 minutes. But after five minutes, I went out and started shouting that I was robbed and asked for help," said Sabenoria.
Police officials said there was a possibility the suspect had studied the routine of money changer employees because he knew what time they would deposit their collection in the bank.
The victim asked a security guard for help, who used his radio to alert other security personnel within the building. They chased Patolot whom they spotted at a Burger King outlet.
In an act of desperation, the suspect took Karen Pangilinan, a second year nursing student, of Valley View Executive Village in Cainta Rizal, as hostage.
Pangilinan who had just finished her lunch, was talking to two friends inside the Burger King outlet. She was suddenly pulled off her chair by the suspect.
"The man pointed a gun at the back of my head and ordered me to just go with him. There were security people following us, but they kept their distance. We went out of the mall and he started flagging down taxi cabs," Pangilinan said.
The woman said she was so afraid during the incident but tried hard not to cry.
Taxi driver Delfin Magno of Makati City said he saw the suspect pointing a pistol at the girl then twice shouted at him to open the vehicle’s door.The suspect and his hostage then walked to the right side of the vehicle, but the driver drove his vehicle forward and sped way, prompting the suspect to hit the back window of his cab with the gun, causing it to shatter.
After another failed attempt to hail a cab, the suspect then demanded from one of the police officers who arrived at the scene to provide him with a get-away vehicle.
The police officers said he would be given a vehicle only if he drops his weapon. Patolot complied and released the girl. Cops immediately jumped on the suspect, apprehended him and took him to the Makati police station.
Charges of malicious mischief, grave threats and robbery and holdup would be filed against the suspect.