Bank robbery suspect shot dead in Alabang yesterday

By Penelope Endozo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — A bank robbery suspect was shot dead at 1 p.m. on Monday after his gang left him and carted away P200,000 from a bank depositor in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

Regular client Haydee Tolentino, 43, had just alighted from her maroon Toyota Vios (XPE-832) on her way to the Allied Bank branch at Orient Lane, Filinvest, North Gate in Alabang when the holdup gang forcibly took her three bags of money at gunpoint, Muntinlupa police investigator, Police Officer 3 Buenaventura Dela Cuesta, said.

Initial investigation showed that the several men trailed Tolentino, a cashier from Prime Consortium Lending Co., and then decided to attack her minutes before she could deposit the money with the bank.

“This is the first time that a group is so brazen to attack in broad daylight here in Alabang,” Dela Cuesta said.

The Muntinlupa police chief, Senior Superintendent Ramiro Bausa, said the police recovered P5,000 worth of coins and P372,000 in bags.

“Ms Tolentino is a daily depositor. The suspects must have known this and followed her here,” Bausa said.

Witness Jerrico Batoon said security guards Elwin Merie and Nick Sumagaysay fired back and gunned down one of the robbers.

Slugs of a .45 cal. pistol, shotgun and a 9mm handgun were recovered by the police.

The three other robbers fled and rode in tandem aboard two motorcycle units, leaving their hurt cohort behind.

The suspected robber who was shot was hit in the head and was declared dead on arrival at the Ospital ng Muntinlupa at 3 p.m. but police found a cell phone and had contacted relatives for identification.