Six robbers nabbed in Caloocan

Six suspected members of a robbery syndicate were arrested by a combined team of police and barangay tanods shortly after stepping out of a pawnshop they had just robbed in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City a few minutes past midnight on All Soul’s Day, a belated police report said.

Station Intelligence and Investigation Division (SIID) chief Superintendent Dionicio Borromeo identified the suspects as Ruben Laduro, 32, a native of Santiago, Isabela, residing at 35 Daisy Street, Payatas, Quezon City; Roy Cabol, 43, a native of Tabuk, Kalinga, Apayao, residing in Valley Golf, Cainta, Rizal; Aldrian Salazar, 24, a native of Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, residing at Bencer street, Bagong Barrio; Jonathan Pallen, 23, a native of Santiago, Isabela, residing at 52 Malanting Street, Amparo Subdivision; Jerry Sibayan, 55, a native of Paguilian, LaUnion, residing at Capt. Samar Street, Libis, Camarin and alleged lookout Luzviminda Verzosa, 45, a native of Antique, the last four, all of Caloocan City.

Probers said the alleged mastermind, identified only as "Alvin," escaped with the loot of still undetermined amount in jewelry and other valuables.

Borromeo said the suspects rented a vacant stall adjacent to the pawnshop and from there, using drilling tools, bored their way through the concrete wall into their target.

Recovered from the suspects were the gang’s tools consisting of a bolt cutter, a sledge hammer, a carpenter’s claw hammer, screw drivers, hand drills, and crowbars.

Investigation showed the suspects were collared by SIID operatives and tanods of Barangay 176 at around 12:30 a.m. Nov. 2, as they were coming out of the pawnshop at the Kanlaon Market in Bagong Silang.

Borromeo stressed that the arrest of the suspects was the result of a coordinated effort between barangay officials and the police. – Jerry Botial