Posing as cops, payroll robbers strike in Malabon

Three unidentified motorcycle riding gunmen posing as police officers fled with the payroll money of an engineering firm after robbing four employees of the firm last Friday in Malabon City, police said yesterday.

Superintendent Moises Guevarra, Malabon police chief, identified the victimized firm as Asian Slipway Inc. (ASI) on E. Rodriguez street, Barangay Tanza Kaliwa, Navotas.

The suspects, who were in police uniform, carted away P110,000, car keys and wallets of the victims. Guevarra said the police follow-up unit is now hard on the heels of the suspects who made good their escape.

Investigation showed Armando Vero, 44, a stay-in engineer contractor of ASI, secretary Amelita Jomuad and helper Armando Alejo were on board a company Ford Fiera (WBT-729) driven by Jesus Gabriel on their way to the ASI motorpool in Barangay Tanza when the suspects struck at around 12:15 p.m. at the corner of Gen. Luna and A. Bonifacio streets in Barangay Baritan, Malabon City.

SPO3 George Gubatan, officer on case, said the three had just withdrawn cash from a bank on M. Naval street in Navotas when two of the suspects, brandishing handguns and wearing black jackets over their uniforms, flagged them down.

A third suspect, riding a scooter, acted as a lookout.

One of the suspects then told the ASI employees they were carrying prohibited drugs and were wanted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement .

He ordered Jomuad to open the Fiera’s rear door and, once inside, asked for a blue bag where the illegal drugs were allegedly being kept.

Rummaging through the back of the vehicle, the "officer" found the "drug" bag, which in truth contained the payroll money.

"Sir, positive. Droga ito," the suspect told his companion, who was holding Alejo at bay with his gun.

The two then boarded the scooter and fled with the loot. – With Pete Laude