By Aaron Recuenco
Police have arrested two suspected robbers who were allegedly about to rob a cashier of a cargo and brokerage corporation in Paranaque City.
Willie Lopez alias Joven Subong, 35; and Rolando Sulde, 40 (Photo from PIO NCRPO / Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)
Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said that the two companions of the arrested suspects were able to escape but are now being hunted based on the information they obtained regarding their identity.
He identified those arrested as Willie Lopez who uses the alias Joven Subong, 35; and Rolando Sulde, 40; both residents of San Juan De Coastal, Barangay San Dionisio in Parañaque City.
“They have links to a group involved in several robberies in Metro Manila,” said Eleazar.
The official said the operation stemmed from a tip-off that a group would rob the Logistics Cargo and Brokerage Corporation in Paranaque City late Friday afternoon. The target is the cashier of the company whose employees had just withdrawn from a nearby bank.
On Wednesday, it was recalled that at least five men robbed a bank in Binon, Manila and carted away an undetermined amount of cash.
Eleazar said that policemen in plain clothes were positioned in the area and at around 5 p.m. on Friday, they spotted four armed men positioning in the area while the employees were closing the establishment.
“With this, our operatives decided to make a careful advance to preempt the robbery and this resulted in the arrest of the two suspects,” said Eleazar.
Seized from them were a .45 pistol, a cellular phone, and a getaway motorcycle.
The cellular phone, according to Eleazar, contains an exchange of text messages about the planned robbery.
“The other suspects riding in separate single motorcycle hurriedly left the place and escaped from the operatives,” said Eleazar.