Romulo carjack suspect used women to befriend victims - NCRPO

MANILA, Philippines - Ivan Padilla, the alleged carjack gang leader who was killed in a Makati shootout Monday, reportedly used four beautiful women to spot and befriend their prospective victims, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said yesterday.

Superintendent Leo Francisco, outgoing head of the NCRPO’s regional police intelligence and operation unit (RPIOU), said these “assets” of Padilla’s gang frequent expensive restaurants, bars and parties – apparently to befriend their targets before victimizing them.

Francisco tagged the Padilla gang as responsible for snatching the vehicles of former foreign affairs secretary Roberto Romulo and the father of actor Derek Ramsey.

Like Padilla and other members of the gang, these women are also from “well-to-do” families, Francisco said.

“We have identified these women assets of the Padilla gang through their Twitter accounts, where they mentioned some details of their illegal activities,” Francisco told The STAR.

Earlier, outgoing NCRPO chief Director Roberto Rosales dispatched tracker teams to arrest the remaining members of the Padilla gang, including their four women cohorts.

Padilla, 23, was killed Monday during an alleged shootout with NCRPO operatives in Makati City.

His companion, a certain Mark, is cooperating fully in the NCRPO’s efforts to catch the remaining members of the Padilla gang, Francisco said.

Two alleged gang members Dale Alimagno, 22, and Glenn Castillo, 31, were arrested last Thursday in Quezon City.

Padilla’s gang members resorted to stealing expensive cars to sustain their addiction to illegal drugs, Francisco said.

He noted that Padilla, who reportedly resided at the posh Ayala Alabang subdivision in Muntinlupa City, started stealing cars at the age of 19. Both his parents are now behind bars for drug pushing, Francisco added.

NCRPO spokesman Superintendent Rommel Miranda said Padilla directly negotiated with casino financiers to sell their stolen luxury vehicles.

Padilla and his companions were on their way to sell Romulo’s Toyota Camry to a prospective buyer for P225,000 when they were intercepted by Francisco’s men in Quezon City last Thursday.

Padilla managed to escape but was cornered by NCRPO operatives in Makati City Monday and was killed in a five-minute running gunbattle.