However, alert policemen later intercepted the four robbers as they were about to stage their second heist for the day onboard another bus.
Superintendent Ericson Velasquez, Mandaluyong City police chief, said the suspects — David Bowie Dulay, 22; Mark Anthony Pascua, 28; Jhonny Tabujara, 25; and Mark Anthony Barrera, 18 — boarded a Roman Cameron Trans bus along EDSA in Baclaran, Parañaque City.
Upon reaching Madison Street in Mandaluyong City, the four suspects took out their weapons and announced the heist at about 2:45 p.m., according to bus driver Jose Diaz Jr.
After divesting the passengers, the suspects ordered Diaz to stop at the corner of EDSA and Reliance St. The four then crossed EDSA using a pedestrian bridge there and boarded a Jasper Transit bus.
However, unknown to the four, two police officers on patrol, PO2 Venerando Viscarra and PO2 Peter Barberan, of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) of the Mandaluyong City police, spotted their weapons while they crossed EDSA.
Sensing a bus robbery, Viscarra and Barbaran radioed their headquarters for backup and followed the Jasper bus on their motorcyle.
Later two police cars that responded to the SWAT patrol’s call blocked the bus in front of Polymedic Hospital. Police officers got help when the bus conductor and the passengers subdued the robbers.
"They didn’t resist. They surrendered peacefully," Velasquez told The STAR.
They were later identified at the police station by Diaz and victims’ of the earlier bus robbery.
Velasquez called on other victims of the gang to come forward and identify the suspects so additional charges could be filed.
Police are preparing robbery holdup charges against the four before the city prosecutor’s office.
The suspects are presently detained at the Mandaluyong City police detention center.