2 PSG men charged for car shop heist

MANILA, Philippines -  Two members of the Presidential Security Group arrested for robbing an auto supply shop have undergone inquest proceedings Thursday night on charges of robbery in band and violating the election gun ban.

Cpl. Bobby Ates and Sgt. Marvin Gaton, both of the Philippine Army, were arrested for carrying guns and ammunition while they were at a bar along Mindanao Avenue Extension in Barangay Lagro before dawn Thursday, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Senior Superintendent Richard Albano said.

They were apprehended an hour after Richard Tubig’s auto supply shop, which is just a few meters away from the bar, was robbed by five armed men at past midnight Thursday.

QCPD Station 5 commander Superintendent Eleazar Matta said they are investigating the possibility that the armed men who robbed the shop did not belong to an organized group and that the break-in may not have been motivated by material gain.

He noted that among those taken from the shop were valuables like a laptop computer, an iPhone, an iPad, and a wedding ring. The suspects did not take money from the shop. 

The suspects left in a white Honda Civic owned by Tubig’s brother, but the same car was found abandoned in Tondo, Manila on Thursday afternoon.

Matta said the two arrested men claimed they went to the bar to “celebrate” and that they had been there since 10 p.m. Wednesday.

A resident told policemen that the two men arrived onboard a gray Mitsubishi Montero. Police officers found an M-16 rifle and several magazines in the sport utility vehicle.

Moments later, security guard Manolo Panotas rushed outside the auto supply shop, his arms still bound, seeking assistance. He identified the two men as among the five men who robbed the shop. 

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang said the Army “will support the investigation. The allegations against the soldiers are serious and we do not support those kinds of activities.”

He said the two soldiers were recipients of combat medals and had never been involved in any case.     – Reinir Padua, Alexis Romero