Six more Sucat bank rob suspects fall

Six more suspects, including a 64-year-old man, tagged in the robbery of a Parañaque City bank were arrested by the police yesterday with the help of the alleged leader who is now in the custody of authorities.

Superintendent Ronald Estilles, city police chief, identified the suspects as Rodolfo Leyte, 64, Fidel Tipo, 44, Reynaldo Bacolod, 49, Rodolfo Amisstoso, 48, Arnel Ramirez, 36, and Alvin Aranas, 22.

Estilles added that two female members of the armed robbery group were also identified, namely: Teresita "Deza" Riwa of BF Resort, Las Piñas and Eliza Dizon of Western Bicutan, Taguig.

Dizon was the "Liza" who was among those who entered the Prudential Bank in Sucat during the heist last Wednesday.

Aranas is her nephew who told police that she had already fled to Mindanao.

Riwa reportedly stayed inside one of the two getaway vehicles of the group during the heist.

Estilles also said police would begin their hunt for the group’s real leader, known only as a certain "Master."

"This person they call Master could be acting like a ‘supremo,’ someone who holds a ranking position," Estilles said.

Police records showed that Leyte, Tipo, Bacolod and Amistoso were arrested while on board a Mazda van (UBY 895) in CAA Compound in Las Piñas, based on the information provided by suspect Marko Lanada.

Lanada and his brother, Philip, were arrested by the Banate, Iloilo police last Sunday.

Lanada helped police track down the van, which said was used as the getaway vehicle after abandoning the two other vans inside a subdivision near the bank.

Ramirez was arrested inside the alleged safehouse of Riwa and Dizon in Barangay BF, also in Las Piñas.

Aranas was collared two hours later at the TUP Compound, Western Bicutan.

Estilles said all suspects denied participation in the robbery but a witness has positively identified one of them.

Lanada has yet to identify them as well, the police chief said.

Estilles said proper criminal charges would be filed against the suspects.