PNP deploys teams to hunt remnants of robbery gang

The National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) deployed several police teams to track down in Metro Manila and the provinces more than a dozen remnants of the Kuratong Baleleng robbery gang responsible for bank and payroll robberies in the metropolis.

NCRPO chief Director Geary Barias said the remaining members of the robbery gang have fled to their respective provinces following the encounter in Pasay City last Friday which left gang member, Albert Almedilla, dead.

Barias vowed to go after the robbery group whether they are hiding in Metro Manila or in the far-flung areas of the country.

“There will be no let down in our campaign to fully neutralize them and send them all behind bars,” he said.

Senior Superintendent Edgardo Danao, NCRPO intelligence chief, said former gang members themselves who are cooperating with investigators are assisting the police teams in the manhunt.

“We have in custody gang members whom we arrested earlier who wanted to be reformed and have been cooperating with us to show their sincerity,” said Danao.

Danao said the police teams expect to find the suspects with the help of their former gang mates even though the remaining gang members have fled to the provinces,

He said they have a list of several safe houses used by the gang in the provinces.

Aside from killing Almedilla in an encounter in the vicinity of the Cartimar market in Pasay City last Friday; Danao’s men also arrested Pascual Mata, George Avila and Roy Fernandez, a former Marine soldier who now heads the gang.

During tactical interrogation, Mata, Avila and Fernandez revealed that they were successful in robbing banks and payroll money because of the help of “insiders” who receives the same share of the loot with the “players.”