Tutuban jewelry store robbed

The bustling Tutuban Mall Cluster Building in Tondo, Manila was thrown into panic late yesterday afternoon after at least seven members of the dreaded Martilyo robbery gang robbed a jewelry store and tried to explode a grenade in their escape.

Fortunately, the MK2 grenade thrown by the suspects at the Apple Color garments store did not explode. It was later safely detonated by responding members of the Western Police District Explosives and Ordnance Division.

According to Superintendent Amador Pabustan, chief of the Moriones Tondo (Station 2) police station, the suspects struck at the Golden City Jewelry Store owned by a certain Aileen Tan, located at the ground floor of the mall at about 3:30 p.m.

Police said the suspects, who reportedly included one female, entered the store and immediately smashed the glass display cases containing the jewelry with small steel mallets.

The suspects then scooped up the assorted jewelry and escaped on foot. The suspects threw a mallet at a pursuing lady guard and rushed out of the mall.

On their way out, the suspects threw the grenade into the Apple Color garments store owned by Marilyn Sy to distract other pursuing security guards.It did not explode although its pin and lever had already been removed.

Fortunately, Rodolfo Ofianga, an alert mall undercover security guard saw three of the suspects fleeing from the mall and gave chase. Ofianga managed to collar and arrest one of the suspects identified as Lito Canik, 31, a native of Sultan Kudarat and resident of 2 Marantaw St., Maharlika Village, Taguig.

Canik was about to board a Cubao-bound jeepney when he was arrested by Ofianga. Taken from Canik were 20 assorted gold necklaces. Canik sustained cuts in the right arm and hand as he scooped the jewelry through the broken glass case, police said.

Under investigation, Canik admitted his participation in the robbery but told police he did not know who his other six companions were. He said that he was recruited by the female member of the group, a certain Monitz. He is now detained at the WPD Station 2 while under investigation.

Shops in the Tutuban Cluster Building closed as WPD EOD operatives under Inspector Lorenzo Mulato remotely wire-detonated the sand bag- surrounded grenade.

Police are still trying to connect Canik and his cohorts with the past robberies of the Martilyo gang in Baclaran and the Divisoria Mall.