Cops hunting down trader’s messenger

Crack operatives from the Eastern Police District (EPD) are hunting down a dismissed messenger, who was tagged by witnesses as one of the three suspects in the ambush-robbery last Monday of a grocery owner and his driver in Pasig City.

Chief Superintendent Rolando Sacramento, EPD director, said investigators are trying to determine the address of the suspect to arrest him for the killing of Alberto Roldan, 58 and his driver, Alexander Amondina, 35.

Sacramento refused to name the suspect.

"The messenger was identified by witnesses as one of the three suspects who shot the victims," Sacramento said in an interview. "We are now in the process of having him arrested."

The EPD director said the messenger was fired by Roldan several months back and could have hatched a plan to get even with him.

Roldan’s son said one of the cartographic sketches resembled their former messenger, he said.

Witnesses said it was the dismissed messenger whom they saw using his cellular phone prior to the ambush-robbery in Bagong Ilog last Monday.

"Nariyan na sila," the suspect blurted out as he signaled his two companions to establish blocking positions.

Two of the suspects opened fire at the blue Mitsubishi Strada, carrying Roldan and Amondina. The third suspect joined them and fired at the rear of the vehicle.

Roldan and Amondina sustained gunshot wounds in the head and died on the spot.