4 men nabbed in Bernas bump-and-rob case

MANILA, Philippines - Four alleged members of the “Bundol (bump)” gang – who allegedly robbed and shot George Bernas, brother-in-law of former presidential daughter Luli Arroyo – were arrested during a police operation in Parañaque City before dawn yesterday.

Police identified the suspects as Robert Sia, alias Tata Revo, the alleged leader; Raul Lumantas, Junreal Abel Gumanay, and Cirilo Paja, who were implicated in a series of robberies involving travelers arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and the Manila Domestic Airport.

The gang’s reported modus operandi is to tail their victims from the airport then rear-end their vehicles to make them stop. The robbers would then hijack the vehicles and leave their victims behind.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said the PNP Highway Patrol Group (HPG) is believed to have neutralized members of the gang.

HPG director Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said the suspects had just robbed another victim along Airport Road in Pasay City when operatives of the HPG-National Capital Region and Special Operations Division gave chase. The running gunbattle ended at the South Green Park subdivision in Merville, Parañaque City with the arrest of the three wounded suspects.

Police recovered firearms from the suspects, including an M16 rifle, two .45 caliber pistols and grenades.

During follow-up operations, police said Sia – who was brought to the St. Luke’s Medical Center by his wife, Rochelle – was identified by Paja as their gang leader.

Espina said “the series of atrocities by this group include robbery, carjacking with frustrated murder of George Bernas on June 19 at about 5 a.m.” Bernas survived the attack.

He also said the group may have also robbed Samson Buenviaje and his family along Araneta Avenue in Quezon City on July 12 at around 8:20 a.m.

The suspects were also tagged in the attack on the Butcher family along Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City on July 16 and on the De Jesus family along Macapagal Bridge in Marikina City on Aug. 30.

Espina said they have reason to believe that the suspects were also the ones who robbed and killed a Korean pastor who fetched his colleagues who arrived at the NAIA. The attack happened along Ortigas Avenue in Pasig last month.

“Obviously the pattern here is that there is a tipster at NAIA. We have leads” on the identities of the other 15 to 20 members of the gang, he said.