A huge debt brought by addiction to online sabong or cockfighting prompted a Quezon City cop to rob a courier company in Bulacan province, police bared Tuesday.

Lt. Col. Omar Fiel, chief of police of San Ildefonso town, made the revelation following the arrest of 22-year-old Corporal Moises Yango in a hot pursuit operation for robbing an LBC branch in Barangay Camias in San Miguel town Monday afternoon.

Yango was detailed at Quezon City Police District's Mobile Force Battalion before his arrest, Fiel said.

"Kinausap ko po sya... tinanong ko kung anong dahilan na nagtulak sa kanya para ma-involve... Sinagot n’ya po sakin na baon po s’ya sa loan (I talked to him and asked what prompted him to get involved in this crime. He said, he's in huge debt)," Fiel said in DZBB interview Tuesday night.

"Inamin n’ya na kaya daw s’ya nabaon sa loan kasi naging sugapa s’ya sa online sabong po (He admitted that he had made multiple loans because he got addicted to online cockfighting)," he added.

Aside from the LBC branch in San Miguel, Fiel said Yango also admitted to robbing LBC branches in Cabanatuan, Zaragoza and Gapan — all in Nueva Ecija province.

"We're also trying to get the attention of police stations of Marilao, Malolos and aside from San miguel, kasi meron din pong insidente na sinabi n’ya na involved s’ya o nangholdup s’ya doon sa mga bayan na 'yun (because there were also robbery incidents where he admitted he got involved with)," Fiel added as Yango also admitted robbing several convenience stores.

Fiel said Yango's other victims came to them after his arrest and identified the latter through his slippers, helmet, firearm and built as the one who previously robbed them.

The town's police chief said Yango was a "lone wolf" in his criminal activity, but added that they are not ruling out that he might have accomplices serving as his informants.

Yango was arrested by police in San Ildefonso at around 1 p.m. after allegedly robbing the LBC branch in San Miguel.

Seized from him were a hand grenade, his service firearm that he allegedly used for the crime, and his police ID, among others.

Fiel said his men, who were immediately deployed to conduct checkpoints after receiving a report about the robbery incident, found Yango suspicious when they flagged him down while onboard his motorcycle.

Fiel said his men only asked Yango where he was going but the latter immediately told them he was a "tropa" or a police officer as well.

He was then frisked and was found carrying a firearm, prompting the arresting officers to place him under investigation.