Passenger killed in San Juan bus robbery

A man was shot dead while 50 others were divested of cash, jewelry and important belongings during a 30-minute robbery inside a passenger bus in San Juan over the weekend.

Chief Superintendent Rolando Sacramento, director of the Eastern Police District (EPD), ordered a massive manhunt against six armed men who escaped one after the other after robbing an RRCG passenger bus plying the Cainta, Rizal-Quiapo route.

Sacramento said the lone fatality sustained a gunshot wound in the chest and died on the spot. The unidentified victim was brought to the crime laboratory of the Philippine National Police (PNP) for autopsy.

Reports reaching Sacramento showed that the suspects boarded the bus with license plate TVT 932 along Stop and Shop in Sta. Mesa, Manila and took separate seats.

Upon reaching the corner of J. Abad Santos and Santolan Road in Barangay Saint Joseph in San Juan, the suspects took out caliber .45 and .9mm automatic pistols, caliber .38 revolvers and a fragmentation grenade and announced a holdup at about 11:45 a.m. on Saturday.

Senior Inspector Eusebio Guevarra of the EPD criminal investigation unit (CIU) said the suspects, at gunpoint, divested the bus conductor of his collection and at least 50 passengers of cash, jewelry and important belongings.

One of the passengers refused to hand over his bag and was shot in the chest.

Guevarra said the suspects alighted one after the other in front the POEA building in Mandaluyong City, the Rosario bridge in Pasig City, in front of the I.P.I. and Robinson’s Galleria.

The bus driver reported the incident to the Police Community Precinct 10 headquarters in Pasig City.

Meanwhile, in Sta. Cruz, Manila, a 38-year-old vendor was also shot dead by jeepney robbers who held up a passenger jeepney bound for Divisoria from Sta. Mesa on Saturday night.

Leodegario Bautista, of Mejorade street in Tondo, Manila, died on the spot due to a gunshot wound in the upper back inflicted by one of the three holdup men.

It was not immediately known if the suspects singled out the victim who was conspicuously wearing an expensive gold necklace or if they took other valuables from other passengers.

The victim, though, did not let the robbers get away easily and gave chase, prompting one of them to shoot the victim. — Non Alquitran and Jose Aravilla