5 criminology students arrested for robbery

Five graduating criminology students were arrested and jailed Monday night after they robbed three female employees of cash and personal belongings in Caloocan City.

Found with identification cards issued by the Philippine College of Criminology (PCCr), the suspects, still reeking with liquor when apprehended by the police, were identified as Benjamin Mabini, 22; Mervin Cereno, 20; Jeffrey del Pilar, 21; Jeric Perez, 21; and Eddie Boy Lagman, 19.

Caloocan City police chief Superintendent Benjardi Mantele, said the suspects were positively identified by their victims, Welmenia Uri, 26, a bookkeeper of Lenders and Investors, Inc.; Catherine Santos, 28, a secretary of Ace System Supplies and Vilma Castillo, 25, a computer firm employee.

According to Caloocan City police Intelligence and Investigation Division (SIID) chief Superintendent Dionicio Borromeo, a team of policemen from the Police Community Precinct (PCP) 5 led by Inspector Christopher Bermudez were patrolling along 4th Avenue when the victims sought their help.

The victims told the lawmen that as they were waiting for a ride along Rizal Extension corner 4th Avenues at around 8:30 p.m. when a stainless owner-type jeep with license plate PLK-682 screeched to a stop in front of them. The suspects, brandishing knives, disembarked from the vehicle and robbed them, they said.

The victims said three of the suspects, who were wearing white T-shirts – apparently their PCCr uniforms, grabbed their bags containing an undetermined amount of cash, jewelry and cellphones.

The suspects then sped-off towards A. Mabini Street where they were later cornered by Bermudez’s police team which followed them, Borromeo said.

Recovered from the suspects were two fan knives, PCCr identification cards and the victims’ personal belongings.

While detained, the suspects refused to talk to reporters about their arrests. They, however, revealed that they dreamed of becoming policemen as soon as they graduate this year.

Borromeo said that dream will remain a dream as the suspects will be charged with robbery and illegal possession of bladed weapons.