2 hurt in armored van robbery

Two people were hurt after at least five men held up an armored van collecting money from a bank at a mall in Fairview, Quezon City yesterday.

Initial investigation disclosed that the incident happened around 12:30 p.m. yesterday in front of the mall’s main entrance where the armored van (PCZ-748) was parked.

Bank teller Bernie Reyes, escorted by guards Eugenio Vargas and Rocero Antonio, had just stepped out of the mall carrying two bags of cash when a shot was fired.

"Pagkalabas namin may nagpaputok ng isang beses, nagulat ako tapos may biglang kumuha ng isang bag. Tapos mula sa likuran ko may dalawang lalaki na tumutok ng baril sa mukha ko. Pagyuko ko, kinuha naman agad yung isa pang bag," he said.

The teller said he could not describe the suspects because the incident happened so fast.

Reyes said three men pointed their guns at the security guard manning the armored van. The suspects then escaped on board a white Mitsubishi L-300 van (PHM-158) as mall guards and policemen in the area pursued them and opened fire.

Witnesses said the gunmen opened fire on an FX taxi, hitting the driver, Ronald Nastor, in the left cheek. He was taken to the FEU Hospital for treatment.

Also hit by a stray bullet was Lio Lares, from Bulacan.

Witnesses claimed that the suspects also disarmed two mall guards.

Police recovered from the scene empty shells from a caliber .45 handgun.

They later recovered the van and a sedan, along Joshua street in Jordan Plains Subdivision, Novaliches, according to Superintendent Jolly Dizon, commander of the Central Police District-Station 5.

He said the van’s windshield was shattered after being shot at by security guards and policemen during the shootout. Empty slugs from an M-16 and M-14 were recovered from the van.

Dizon said that based on the information they received, the suspects were clad in barong. Some were wearing bullet-proof vests.