Drug prescription gives away 2 thieves in Parañaque bank rob

A drug prescription gave away the identities of two of the 12 robbers who staged last Wednesday’s daring robbery at the Prudential Bank branch in Sucat, Parañaque.

Responding policemen headed by Superintendent Ronald Estilles, Parañaque City police chief, were searching for evidence at one of the abandoned get-away vehicles – a green Lite-Ace van – when they recovered a crumpled piece of paper in the glove compartment. The piece of paper turned out to be a drug prescription for a patient, Buenaventura Gimeno, a beauty parlor owner in Las Piñas. Through the piece of paper, Estilles traced Dr. Edgar Zarate in his home in Talon, Las Pinas who admitted issuing the prescription to Gimeno days back.

It was during his confrontation with Gimeno when Estilles learned that the Lite-Ace van with license plate TCS407 was borrowed by the suspects, Mark Lanada, 22, and his girlfriend, a certain Liza, at 5:30 a.m., several hours before the robbery.

Armed with Gimeno’s revelation, Estilles raided the house of Lanada’s aunt in Riverside Creek, Sitio Polo also in Barangay Talon and was told that the suspect hurriedly left with his belongings Tuesday night. Lanada’s aunt, Cecilia Clavinte, handed Estilles a picture of Lanada, which the latter enlarged for easy identification.

Estilles then coordinated with bank officials who identified Lanada in the picture as the one who entered the establishment armed with an Armalite rifle and wearing a black T-Shirt with "Police" markings at the back.

The description of Liza also fit that of an artist’s sketch of a woman who joined Lanada inside the bank, Estilles said.

In his report to Metro Manila police chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco, Estilles said the robbers had thick Visayan accent.

Velasco ordered Estilles to coordinate with the police units in Region VI to trace the hometown of Lanada and his cohorts and possibly arrest them. "The suspects were already identified so it’s now up to the Southern Police District (SPD) to follow-up the case. They don’t need any support from us at this time," Velasco told The Star, adding that a nationwide manhunt is now underway against Lanada and his companions.

For his part, Parañaque Mayor Joey Marquez offered a P100,000 reward for information leading to the arrests of the suspects. At around 9:20 a.m. Wednesday, the robbers barged inside the Prudential Bank and carted away an undetermined amount of cash.

Two responding policemen engaged the 12 fleeing robbers in a shootout before losing them. The Lite-Ace van and another get-away vehicle, a Starex van, were recovered at the corner of Loro and Lozada Streets in Phase 2, Manuyo 2 in Las Piñas.

The Starex van turned out to be stolen from Joseph Fernandez, a son of Deputy Director General Clyde Fernandez, deputy chief for administration of the Philippine National Police (PNP) the day before the robbery.

Estilles has cleared Gimeno of his involvement in the robbery.

Aside from the drug prescription, Estilles and his men also recovered a M-29 hand grenade, a shotgun, magazines for M-16 Armalite rifle and assorted ammunition inside the two get-away vehicles.

Police believed that some of the suspects were wounded as evidenced by bloodstains in the area.

Estilles told The Star yesterday, his men are hot on the trail of Lanada and his cohorts, who are believed to be hiding with relatives or fellow Ilonggo’s in Metro Manila.