500 Marines to `invade' Metro malls

On Monday, don't be surprised to see Philippine Marines at your favorite shopping mall. No it is not martial law all over again. They will be there to assist policemen in anti-crime visibility operations.

National Capital Region Police Office director Chief Superintendent Edgar Aglipay told reporters yesterday that the 500-strong Marines battalion will not be lugging high-powered rifles nor be clad in their usual jungle fatigue battle dress.

Instead, the Marines will be wearing khaki garrison uniforms and will only be carrying sidearms and whistles.

They will be assisting policemen, particularly members of the elite Special Action Force and the Special Weapons and Tactics teams.

The Marines, Aglipay said, will be deployed at all shopping malls in Manila, Baclaran, Caloocan, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Muntinlupa, San Juan and Makati.

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines maintains so many units here in Metro Manila. We have forged an agreement with the Marines to help us enforce the peace at these malls. The Marines will particularly be tasked to arrest erring members of the AFP as police deputies," Aglipay said.

Aglipay said that using members of the Marines as police deputies is not new.

He said that Marine troopers have been serving as police deputies in maintaining order and security in various government buildings.

Meanwhile, members of the Central Police District arrested a policeman on extortion charges. The suspect was identified as PO3 Reynaldo Patiag, 39, of Bagumbayan, Taguig, detailed with CPD Traffic Sector 3.

Patiag was arrested after receiving P1,500 in marked cash from Barangay officials Antonio Robel and Hanibal Tejano of Quirino, Quezon City. Tejano and Robel were sent by their barangay captain, Max Custodio to give the marked cash to Patiag.

Custodio had sought police assistance in arresting Patiag after he asked P1,500 for the release of an impounded barangay service van involved in a traffic accident last Dec. 23. Custodio said the van remained impounded in Camp Karingal despite proper documents having been presented for its release.

Charges of robbery and extortion have been filed in court against Patiag, who will also face summary dismissal proceedings.

Meanwhile, CPD director Chief Superintendent Romulo Sales announced the arrest of five suspected members of a robbery gang preying on taxi drivers in Quezon City.

The suspects, two of them minors, were identified as Eduardo de Guzman, 34, of 69 T. Alonzo St., Sta. Lucia, Novaliches; Jhonnel Ralean, 16, of Abad Santos, Sta. Lucia, Novaliches; John Paul Burlagcatan, 15, of 29 B-8 Andrew St., Sto. Domingo, Quezon City; Reed Hagis, 23, of North Fairview and Mary Grace Dibdib, 18, of 46 St. John St., Holy Spirit, Quezon City.

The suspects were arrested shortly after robbing Christopher Gredona, a taxi driver at about 1 a.m. last Thursday along Commonwealth Avenue.

Gredona told police that the suspects boarded his taxi along Batasan Road and asked to be brought to North Fairview.

On Commonwealth Avenue, the suspects, producing a home-made shotgun and fan knives, divested him of P3,500 in earnings.

Then, the suspects tied his hands and feet with electric cord and placed him in the trunk of the taxi.

Gredona was able to escape only when the taxi was abandoned at Feria, Matandang Balara. He then went to the Lagro police station where operatives immediately tracked down the suspects, who were nabbed near the crime scene. Seized from them were the home-made gun, two knives, a gun replica, the taxi's speakers and other accessories. Cases of robbery and car theft have been filed against the suspects who are now under detention.