2 bank workers slain in rob

STA. ROSA, Laguna — Two employees of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) branch here were killed and their driver was critically wounded by five heavily armed men who held them up on their way to their office yesterday.

Killed were cash clerk Edgardo Gaspar and security guard Jonathan Bautista. Gaspar died on the spot while Bautista did not reach the hospital alive.

Their driver, Rorlando Wagan, was seriously wounded, with several gunshot wounds in the chest, arms and thigh, according to Superintendent Danilo Castro, this town’s police chief.

Investigators said the three, who were aboard an Isuzu Highlander, had just come from the Laguna Technopark and were en route to the RCBC Paseo de Sta. Rosa branch in Barangay Pulong Sta. Cruz to deposit their collections when the robbers, riding in a black Toyota Revo, blocked their path.

The robbers alighted from their car and immediately fired at the victims. One of them then took two wooden boxes containing an undetermined amount of cash from the victims’ van.

Policemen detailed about 200 meters from the crime scene, heard the first gunshots and immediately responded. They gave chase but the robbers fired a grenade launcher at them.

Castro said his men managed to shoot back and that they were confident two of the fleeing robbers were hit.

Police later found the robbers’ getaway car at the Juana 3 Subdivision in Biñan town.

Reports said the robbers commandeered a Mercedez Benz (with license plate UPS 926) driven by one Gamelan Pastor and were able to pass undetected through police checkpoints here and in San Pedro and Biñan.