5 charged in rob-slay of lawyer, 2 cops

After almost two months of follow-up operations, the police charged a former soldier and four others for killing two Manila policemen and a lawyer during a P1-million robbery in Paco, Manila last May 12.

Charges of robbery with three counts of homicide and two counts of physical injury were filed against alleged gang leader Juanito Boton, a former corporal at the 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army; Gilbert Collado, alias Gilbert Ellado; Fernando Cagoco, alias Ronnel Dondon Palma; Junior Bonita; and Arnel Rojas before the Manila prosecutor’s office.

Boton and his group reportedly killed lawyer Alfredo Dy and took the P1 million he had just withdrawn from a bank, and then shot dead Police Officer 3 Jose Ysmael Santos and PO2 Francisco Neri, who chased the suspects and engaged them in a shootout.

Homicide police officers led by Chief Inspector Dominador Arevalo Jr. recovered two motorcycles abandoned by the fleeing suspects, one of which was traced to Rojas.

Witnesses identified the suspects through a rogue’s gallery provided by several police units.

Boton, who allegedly belongs to the Rodica rob gang, was arrested by the Manila police on Sept. 22, 2006 for robbery and carjacking. He was able to post bail and reportedly became the leader of the group after Pedro Rodica “mysteriously disappeared.”

Manila Police District director Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales said the case is “deemed solved but not closed.” The police are still hunting down the suspects, he added.