Wounded robbery suspect arrested in hospital

MANILA, Philippines - One of the five robbery suspects who reportedly engaged a police officer in a shootout during a jeepney heist in Caloocan City Friday night was arrested at past midnight yesterday while being treated for a bullet wound at a hospital.

Julius Hidalgo, 35, sustained a bullet wound in the face and was apprehended by Northern Police District policemen at the Dr. Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRMMC) at around 12:30 a.m.

Police Officer 1 Joel Baliong said SPO1 Fernando Gomboc shot it out with at least five robbers of a passenger jeepney (NWT-979) along C-3 Road in Dagat-Dagatan at around 10:45 p.m.

Gomboc was on the front seat of the jeepney en route to Navotas from Manila when at least three passengers, armed with knives, declared a robbery while they were cruising C-3 Road.

The suspects gathered the victims’ money, cell phones and other belongings and put them in a sack. Upon reaching a gas station in the area, the robbers ordered the driver to stop.

At least two other suspects who were waiting at the gas station approached Gomboc, who was not in uniform, and at gunpoint grabbed his bag.

The robbers fled towards a dimly lit portion of the highway, with Gomboc in pursuit. He said the suspects shot at him, and he fired back but failed to catch them.

Gomboc accompanied the other victims to the NPD headquarters to report the incident. During the investigation, a police officer received a call from the President Diosdado Macapagal Memorial Medical Center claiming they had treated a man for a gunshot wound in the face but transferred him to JRMMC.

Gomboc and victims Luzviminda Diaz, 33, and Michelle Santos, 18, identified Hidalgo as one of the robbers, Baliong said.

Hidalgo denied the allegation, saying he was “hit by a stray bullet but I’m not a robber, and I have no gun. I was in the area because I am a tricycle driver.” Asked for his driver’s license or any identification card, he failed to show any.

Police recovered the sack containing the victims’ belongings near the crime scene.