5 nabbed for Allied heist

Five persons, including two policemen, were arrested some five hours after at least 10 heavily armed men staged a daring daylight robbery of an Allied Bank branch in Malate, Manila last Tuesday.

Western Police District (WPD) director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong identified the suspects as Police Officers 1 Glenn Abardolasa, 35, and Joselito Verdeflor, 29, both detailed at the Special Action Force unit in Bicutan, Taguig; Allan Lucban Balanday, of Quiapo, Manila; Charlando Bediones, 38, and Vicente Fagutao, 36, both of Pasay City.

Bulaong said the suspects were identified by witnesses as among the gunmen who were seen boarding getaway vehicles following a shootout between the bank’s guards and the robbers.

According to investigators, the arrested suspects were seen by a witness scaling the wall of a residence in Pasay City wearing military uniforms shortly after the heist.

The revelation prompted WPD operatives to raid a compound on Balagtas street in Pasay City, resulting in the arrest of the suspects.

Seized from the suspects were a caliber .45 revolver without a permit to carry, a 9 mm pistol and a caliber .38 revolver with expired licenses, two sets of camouflage uniforms, and a Frontier pick-up truck.

The suspects opted to remain silent while inside the WPD’s Theft and Robbery Section office.

Investigations disclosed that two suspects entered the Allied Bank Vito Cruz branch along P. Ocampo street in Malate at 1:45 p.m. Shortly after, two more suspects followed, kicked the front door and grappled with the service firearm of security guard Salvador Chingko.

More suspects barged in and smashed the bank’s Cash Center office with sledge hammers, then scooped the cash money and placed it on huge bags they were carrying.

The bank’s security officers responded and a firefight ensued against the suspects who were reportedly armed with long and short firearms, including M-203 grenade launchers.

A bystander identified as Daniel Moss was hit by shrapnel in both thighs. He was rushed to the Ospital ng Maynila.

The bank’s glass front door was damaged during the firefight, including the vehicles parked around the bank.

The heist and the firefight reportedly took only five minutes, as the suspects fled on board a green Toyota Revo and a Grandia van without license plates.

The arrested suspects will be charged with robbery in band and illegal possession of firearms, according to Theft and Robbery Section commander Chief Inspector Benjamin Reyes.

Meanwhile, the "hasty" arrest of five men tagged as suspects in last Tuesday’s bank robbery might prompt a security agency to file arbitrary detention charges against operatives of the WPD.

Lawyer Argee Guevarra, representing the Shooters Security Services (SSS), said they are seriously considering the filing of charges against officials and officers who had apprehended three of their personnel and two police officers.

Guevarra claimed the WPD apprehended the wrong suspects.

He explained that since it was the end of the month, the three SSS employees were making several withdrawals from a Banco de Oro bank, which is some 50 meters away from Allied Bank.

The SSS office is located at the back of the Allied Bank.

"They were about to make their fourth withdrawal for that day when the Allied heist happened. They started making withdrawals at 9 a.m. The SSS is one of the biggest security agencies and has about 100 to 200 employees which is why they had to make several bank withdrawals," he said.

As proof, they presented to the media the withdrawal slips allegedly issued to their employees.

The witnesses reportedly noticed the three employees and when the WPD began interviewing them, mentioned that they saw the suspects allegedly robbing the bank.

Manila policemen proceeded to the SSS office an hour and a half later and "invited for verification" to the police station the three employees and the two policemen, who were then visiting the company’s president Dante Eslabon.