3 fall for carnapping, foiled robbery, and drug possession

CEBU, Philippines - Police yesterday arrested a man for carnapping and for possession of suspected shabu and marijuana.

The suspect, identified as Christopher Tiu Tan, 39, was arrested by personnel of the Mobile Patrol Group along Don Avila Street in Barangay Capitol Site yesterday morning.

The victim who requested anonymity said she was about to enter her car after bringing her child to school when the suspect who was behind her suddenly pushed her aside and pointed a pair of scissors at her.

The victim’s shout for help reportedly seemed to confuse Tan, prompting the suspect to run away but bystanders in the area ran after him while the victim sought help from authorities. Members of the Mobile Patrol Group later arrested Tan and brought him to the Fuente Police Station where he is currently detained.

A body search of the suspect yielded two packets of suspected shabu, a partially rolled cigarette believed to be marijuana, a pair of scissors, and a masking tape.

The victim, 33, is a resident of La Guardia in Barangay Lahug.

Senior Insp. Isagani Pugoy, deputy chief of operations of the Fuente Police, said Tan had been arrested previously for the same offense.

The suspect’s modus operandi, Pugoy said, is to enter establishments, mostly pension houses and motels, where he could see potential victims.

“Kintahay mu-check-in ka sa room 150, mu-check-in sad siya sa room 151. Taparan gyud ka. Nya mureklamo siya sa HR na daot ba ron iyang suga, then inig saka sa HR, iyang kuhaon ang yawe sa HR desk ug lungkabon ang pikas kwarto,” Pugoy told The FREEMAN.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, two suspected members of a robbery gang were arrested last Wednesday afternoon just before they could rob a barangay councilman in the western town of Asturias.

The suspects, identified as Gilbert Gutierrez, 29, of Talisay City and Vicente Romano Romero, 26, of Guihulngan, Negros Oriental, were nabbed by police while crouching at a grassy portion of the barangay road in San Isidro, Asturias.

Police confiscated from Gutierrez a fake Smith and Wesson .38 revolver loaded with four bullets while a fake .22 magnum loaded with three bullets was seized from Romero. Upon frisking, police also recovered two packets of dried marijuana leaves, one small packet of shabu, a motorcycle key, and a Landbank ATM card owned by a certain Josephine Seno.

Insp. Danilo Santillan said what happened was that the suspects’ contact person reportedly informed San Isidro Barangay Captain Rene Yaras of the duo’s plan to rob councilman Neboy Banate of the P200,000 intended as compensation for the scrap scavengers at the town’s landfill. Most of the scraps reportedly come from the Tsuneishi Heavy Industries based in the neighboring town of Balamban. Yaras, in turn, reported the matter to the police.

Charum Adolfo, a habal-habal driver who also served as driver of the suspects’ getaway vehicle, told authorities that the two have been involved in carnapping in Talisay City and Minglanilla.

Adolfo said the key confiscated from the suspects is actually the key of the Sunriser motorcycle that they allegedly stole in Minglanilla, which they later left near the San Jose Church in Talisay City.

Cebu Provincial Police Office Director Patrocinio Comendador has ordered an investigation into the matter to determine the suspects’ possible links to other robbery groups.

Formal charges were filed against the suspects yesterday.  (FREEMAN)