10 'cops' bungle Malabon mall rob try

MANILA, Philippines – At least 10 heavily armed men in police uniforms botched an attempt to rob a mall in Malabon City Sunday night when they panicked and fled after triggering an alarm as they tried to open the mall’s safety vault.

Senior Superintendent Roberto Villanueva, Malabon City police chief, said the suspects, using two sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and a motorcycle as getaway vehicles, fled with only a laptop and two mobile phones they took from the employees of the Malabon City (MC) Square.

“When the suspects tried to open the safety vault, which was equipped with alarm mechanism, it emitted a blaring sound inside the mall. They panicked and immediately fled,” Villanueva told The STAR.

Villanueva said the men were armed with handguns and rifles, with two seen carrying M2O3 grenade launchers. They entered through the back door of the MC Square on Letre Road at around 10 p.m., when most of the employees were already gone.

The back door, intended only for mall employees, had two detailed security guards, with only one armed with a .38 caliber revolver.

“The suspects disarmed the guard... and barged (through) the back door that connects to the Robinson’s Supermarket,” Villanueva said.

The armed men scoured the cashiers’ drawers for money but failed to get anything. After finding out the cash was already deposited in the safety vault, they tried to open it and inadvertently triggered the alarm, he said.

“They were quick and went out the same (way),” Villanueva said.

Witnesses told police they saw some of the suspects board a black SUV, with another SUV serving as back-up vehicle followed by a motorcycle toward Dagat-Dagatan Avenue in Caloocan City. They failed to jot down any of the vehicles’ plate numbers.

They also said during the robbery try they saw several policemen armed with rifles posted at strategic areas outside the MC Square.

Villanueva said witnesses saw a black SUV, which resembled one of the suspects’ getaway vehicles, in the vicinity of the mall over the past two days.

He said the rob try was captured by the mall’s surveillance camera.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) recently banned its personnel, particularly the Special Weapons and Tactics, from wearing their black combat uniform since criminal syndicates often use this particular uniform.

The patrol uniform was recently changed to a light blue T-shirt with PNP and “PULIS” markings – the same uniform the suspects used in trying to rob the MC Square.