QC cops bag taxi ‘holdupper’
ALERT patrolling Quezon City cops arrested a robbery holdup suspect after pretending as a taxi passenger Thursday night.
P/Lt. Col. Richard Mepania, QC Police Station (PS) 15 commander, said the suspect was a resident of Barangay Vasra in the city while his cohort managed to escape responding policemen.
Based on the initial report, the two suspects pretended to be taxi passengers and, while traversing Bgy. Bagong Pag-asa near EDSA declared a hold-up at gunpoint and took the P1,500 cash of the taxi driver.
The duo alighted from the taxi and went to an alley at the said place.
PS-15 operatives were conducting covert patrol along EDSA northbound and chanced upon the victim on board his taxi shouting at the top of his voice, asking for assistance.
The operatives chased the two suspects, and through the help of a security guard near the scene, they managed to corner one of the suspects while his accomplice managed to flee.
Police recovered from the suspect a black sling bag; one improvised small firearm or pen gun; a gun replica, a mobile phone, and one caliber .38 ammunition.
Meanwhile, continuous manhunt operation is being conducted for the possible arrest of the other suspect.
The suspect will be charged with robbery holdup and violation of RA 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.
Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director P/BGen. Nicolas D. Torre III applauded the PS-15 responding officers for their alertness. “This is the very reason why police visibility is important especially in crime prone areas. Also, this is my reason of conducting ‘Simulation Exercises’ in different scenarios. Nais kong maging handa ang ating mga kapulisan sa mabilis na pagresponde kung mayroon man silang maencounter na ganitong mga insidente,” he said.
“I commend the unwavering efforts of Quezon City Police District for their relentless anti-criminality operations,” NCRPO (National Capital Region Police Office) Director P/MGen. Edgar Alan Okubo said.
