Sucat bank rob leader falls

The quick response of law enforcers from a small town in Iloilo City led to the arrest Sunday night of the alleged leader of the group that held up a bank in Parañaque City last week.

Suspect Marko Lanada, 22, and his brother Philip, 21, were flown in by a authorities yesterday noon to Manila for investigation.

Parañaque City police chief, Superintendent Roland Estilles, credited the law enforcers of Banate town in Iloilo for the capture of the suspects.

"The Banate police immediately recognized Lanada, whose photo they saw on television, as one of those who were wanted for the robbery," Estilles told reporters.

Police Inspector Brando Gregorio, Banate police chief, said the brothers were about to board a boat en route to Negros Occidental when the captain noticed their suspicious behavior and reported them to the police.

"We immediately proceeded to the pier to check on the report. We recognized one of them and began to ask questions. Finally, they admitted that they were part of the group that robbed the bank in Sucat. They didn’t resist when we arrested them," Gregorio said.

Gregorio, SPO4 Oscar Yap, also of the Banate police, and a representative of the Parañaque police, escorted the Lanadas, who were both handcuffed, on the flight to Manila.

They were met by Estilles, Parañaque City Mayor Joey Marquez, and airport police officer Noel Abadilla.

Marquez told reporters that he would give the P100,000 reward money, which came from his intelligence fund, to the Banate police.

During tactical interrogation, Lanada told the police that he got P50,000 as his share from the loot. Estilles said authorities recovered P15,000 from Lanada. – With Sandy Araneta