QC cops closing in on Union Bank robbers

The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) is closing in on the suspects in the robbery of the Timog Avenue branch of the Union Bank of the Philippines, with significant progress as regards the identities of the culprit, an official said yesterday.

“We now have an idea (of who the suspects are),” QCPD-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit chief Superintendent Franklin Moises Mabanag told The STAR in an interview.

According to Mabanag, the “main bulk” of the suspects who were outside the bank during the heist could be members of the Ampang-Colangco group, which is eyed as the one behind last month’s heist at the West Avenue Branch of the Landbank of the Philippines.

QCPD Intelligence Division chief Superintendent Bernabe Balba earlier said that the same group could be behind the robberies at the two banks.

Apart from the Ampang-Colangco group, Mabanag said other groups could have participated in the Union Bank robbery. He named the Ozamis group, based in Misamis Oriental; the Ranger group, composed of former military and police officers; and the Flores group, based in Central Luzon.

Mabanag added that some witnesses reportedly saw two Mitsubishi Adventures with civilians carrying guns at a Shell gasoline station in Balintawak right after the Union Bank robbery last Tuesday.

“We immediately sent our men but they were no longer there. Reportedly, they proceeded towards the north,” Mabanag said, noting that the Flores group is based in that area.

He also said the QCPD’s anti-carjacking section is in the process of verifying reports regarding the license plates reportedly seen on the vehicles on the day of the heist.

He said seven of the plates were cleared of any past incident of car theft. He said there are four license plates under investiation, one of which showed “irregularities” in its transfer.

Mabanag noted that those who participated in the Union Bank heist could be remnants of the other groups, whose leaders had been arrested in the past. “So maybe they met while inside the jail (and sometimes merge for these robbery attempts),” he said.

Mabanag also chided Rosito Pesquira for going to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) instead of presenting himself to the QCPD.

Pesquira, an administrative aide at the Las Piñas City police, went to the NBI Wednesday afternoon and denied that he was part of the armed group that robbed the Landbank branch.

According to Mabanag, Pesquira’s name was dragged into the case after he was identified “based on intelligence reports” for his alleged participation in the sale of the Toyota Tamaraw FX that was used by the suspects in the robbery.

Mabanag said Pesquira could be considered a “principal by indispensable cooperation.”

He said Pesquira should have just explained himself before the QCPD instead of going to the NBI.