A man who allegedly robbed a taxi driver of his earnings in Intramuros, Manila early Tuesday morning, Feb. 13, was arrested by Manila Police District operatives while his companion who managed to escape is being hunted down. 

The suspect, identified as Jhonas Lagsa, denied his involvement in the robbery. 

“Hindi naman po ako talaga holdaper. Nadamay lang po talaga ako doon sa kasama ko po. Pag-alis po namin, nung nakasakay na po kami ng taxi, ‘yun po, tinutukan niya yung taxi driver (I'm not really a holdaper. I was just implicated. When we got into the taxi, my companion pointed a gun at the taxi driver),” he said. 

However, the arrested suspect's claim does not match the victim's narrative. 

Jonathan Lopez, the taxi driver, said that he picked up the two suspects in Baclaran, Parañaque, to drop them off at a gas station in Anda Street in Intramuros, Manila, at midnight on Feb. 13. 

The victim said that when they reached Anda Street, the arrested suspect declared the hold-up and pointed a gun at him while telling him to enter the Intramuros area. 

The other suspect, who was still at large, and identified by the police as Dave Dumaol, was also holding a gun and pointed it at the victim.

When they reached the Bureau of Immigration (BI), Dumaol took the P4,000 from the taxi driver and ordered him to get out of the taxi. 

The victim immediately ran away. From a distance, he waited if the suspects would drive his taxi. But when he saw them get off the cab and flee, he immediately sought help from the police.

The police spotted Lagsa along the Intramuros-Binondo Bridge which resulted in his arrest and in the confiscation of his replica gun. 

Meanwhile, the MPD has launched a manhunt operation for the arrest of Dumaol. 

Lagsa has been placed under the custody of the MPD-Ermita Police Station and will face charges for violations of Article 294, Robbery Hold-up, and the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.