Market! Market! thieves identified

The Taguig police yesterday identified the armed suspects who robbed an armored van at the Market! Market! Mall in Taguig City more than a week ago.

Senior Superintendent Alfred Sotto Corpus, Taguig police chief, said the gunmen are members of the Lahay-Lahay and Colanco Robbery Group that usually target banks and their clients. They are also the suspects in several robbery incidents in other cities in southern Metro Manila.

Corpus said Dory de Rojo, the driver of the armored van, was the one who identified their attackers at the police station’s Rouges’ Gallery.

“There were 13 suspects who conducted the operation on July 11. One of those identified was Cristy Llanos who was being pointed to as the live-in partner of the leader of the group,” Corpus said.

The other suspects were identified as Bobby Baliber, Michael Damolo, Nestor Mutia and Romeo Baluran.

Mutia and Baluran were accidentally arrested after they were among those rounded up for violation of a City Ordinance concerning “Drinking Liquor in Public Places” on July 17 along Pasong Tamo Extension in Barangay Western Bicutan, Taguig.

A case of robbery in band with multiple frustrated homicide has already been filed against the group before the City Prosecutor’s Office.

A progress report by Corpus likewise said that there were two others injured apart from the two victims —Samuel Cacho, a security escort for the armored van and Rene Boy Pader, a security guard of the Bonifacio Security Services Inc., being mentioned in earlier reports.  

Paolo Aguilar and Elmer Carillo who are both senior bank tellers of Chinabank, also sustained gunshot wounds, when the gunmen conducted the heist while the van was parked in the premises of the commercial complex.

The police investigating the incident said some of the suspects commandeered the van, took away more than P3 million worth of cash and abandoned the vehicle somewhere in the Fort Bonifacio area.  

Corpus said they immediately intensified security measures in the area. “We have deployed additional police force that will help man the Global City premises,” he added.

A manhunt operation against the other members of the group, has been continuing.