Mercury Drug robbed anew

At least 10 heavily armed men staged a midnight heist yesterday, robbing a Mercury Drug branch in Quezon City of some P30,000 in cash.

It was the fifth robbery in the store. A customer, Rhoniel Roxas, 29, of Quezon Avenue, was also divested of P600 in cash, a check worth P25,000, and personal items, police records showed.

Director Edgardo Aglipay, head of the National Capital Region Office (NCRPO), said investigators have already identified the robbers but refused to reveal their names pending the investigation.

He added witnesses’ descriptions of the robbers led to their identification. "There’s a permanent mobile patrol car assigned to secure the drugstore and a 7-11 store because they are located at a major point. Unfortunately, the patrol car responded to a call for assistance by a barangay captain at around 11:30 p.m.," Aglipay said.

Investigation showed that suspects struck at around 12 midnight and held up the drugstore at the corner of Quezon Avenue and Scout Borromeo Street in Barangay South Triangle, Quezon City.

The robbers arrived on board a black Honda 125 cc motorcycle, a red Honda City, and a white Toyota Lite-Ace. They disarmed the guard on duty, Andres Balingao, of his .38 caliber service revolver and ordered employees to hand over the money from the cash registers. At least P20,000 of the drugstore’s earning was taken from the cash vault.

The robbers also divested Roxas, a jeepney driver, of his cash and valuables.

Investigators were told the heist took all of five minutes and that the robbers fired warning shots into the air before fleeing.

Recovered from the crime scene were six spent shells from a 9 mm pistol, eight from an M16 rifle, and one from a .45 caliber pistol.

Also recovered was a license plate (WKW-648) which witnesses told police was accidentally dropped by the robbers. But investigators believe the plate was part of the robbers’ plan to cover their identities.

Aglipay said additional security would be deployed to 24-hour Mercury Drug and 7-11 branches in Metro Manila.

Aglipay dispelled fears that the incident would be the start of robberies staged during the holiday season.

Meanwhile. a Korean national was injured and lost P250,000 in cash after he was held up inside his car along EDSA the other night.

SPO4 Roberto Hizon of the Makati Police identified the victim as 32-year-old businessman Han Chang Chu from Korea.

Han along with his friend Jessie Lopez were driving along Magallanes, EDSA at around 10:30 p.m. last Sunday when the incident took place.

Investigation revealed that the Daewoo Prince car of Han (WES-332) was blocked by an old-model vehicle as it was going up the Magallanes interchange on the northbound lane of EDSA.

A group of men emerged from the vehicle armed with high-powered rifles and approached Han and his companion.

The suspects broke the windows of Han’s car before ordering both men to hand over their cash and valuables at gun-point. It was revealed that Han lost an estimated P250,000 in cash and an undetermined amount in valuables.

Han suffered injuries when one of the robbers hit him on the head and he was brought to the Makati Medical Center for treatment. Investigators are currently following up the case and are waiting for the complete statement of Han as soon as he is released from the hospital. – Nikko Dizon, Matthew Estabillo and Marvin Sy