Cop tagged in Pasig market robbery

MANILA, Philippines - Eastern Police District (EPD) director Chief Superintendent Miguel Laurel ordered yesterday a massive manhunt for a policeman allegedly involved in a robbery at a public market in Pasig City that left three people dead last Saturday.

Laurel said tracker teams from the Pasig City police are hot on the trail of the policeman, who is assigned in Camp Crame.

Self-confessed robber Rey Rufino identified the policeman as one of his two accomplices when they robbed traders Ruel Malimban and Juanito Molina at the Mega Public Market before noon Saturday.

The three robbers killed Malimban and Molina when they tried to resist and shot dead traffic enforcer Jonathan Mariano when he tried to run after them. A helper, Gibson Urban, was wounded in the incident.

The robbers boarded a passenger jeepney to escape. The Pasig City police arrested Rufino during a follow-up operation and seized P112,000 stolen from the two traders.