EDITORIAL - Robbery spree

Whether it’s because of the economic downturn or because Christmas is fast approaching, robbers are becoming more daring. As Metro Manila continued to reel from Ondoy’s devastation, about 10 heavily armed men reportedly wearing vests and Kevlar helmets broke into the Harrison Plaza shopping mall in Manila early last Tuesday, disarmed the guards and opened two of three safety vaults. The take was said to be minimal, but that did not diminish the boldness of the heist.

Even more brazen was the attack on an armored van that was parked outside Walter Mart in Quezon City two weeks ago. About 20 men managed to cart away four duffel bags of cash from the van. Police arrested several suspects and said the robbers belonged to three notorious gangs.

Anti-crime groups have warned of an increase in crimes against property before the Christmas holidays. In previous years, a spike in kidnappings for ransom was also noted before elections. Authorities should not find it impossible to neutralize the latest criminal gangs. The Philippine National Police managed to stop a deadly kidnapping spree in the late 1990s and its resurgence together with armored van robberies a few years ago.

The robberies provide an indication of how easy it is to obtain high-powered weapons and security gadgets in this country, and how carjacking abets the perpetration of more serious crimes. The robbers of the armored van, for example, used a Toyota Revo and a Ford Expedition that were later abandoned, and whose owners still have not been traced.

The military and police should also put in place a system of keeping track of all their personnel even when a member has resigned or goes on absence without leave. A number of those who go AWOL have ended up protecting or directly engaging in criminal activities. Apart from eyeing the possible collusion of insiders, investigators are again looking at the involvement of former military and police personnel in the two latest robberies as well as at least six bank heists in recent months.

The most notorious crime rings have been neutralized in the past. Law enforcers must move quickly to stop the latest wave of daring robberies.