Robbers storm Citibank

Fifteen men with high-caliber firearms barged into the Citibank Center in the heart of the Makati City financial district yesterday afternoon, carting away an undetermined amount of cash.

A Makati police mobile patrol unit and private security guards engaged the robbers in a brief gunbattle, triggering panic among commuters and passersby near the bank’s building located at the corner of the Paseo de Roxas Avenue and Villar street at around 3:30 p.m. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

It was not clear how much money the robbers managed to take. Citibank management refused to comment until a thorough police investigation is completed.

The gunmen, some wearing fatigue jackets and hoods, fired warning shots as their companions barged into the cash department at the ground floor of the bank, located in a building housing Citibank’s local headquarters.

With their M-16 and M-14 armalites, the robbers littered a portion of Villar Street with slugs. The robbers also shot at a Citibank armored van, which arrived just seconds after they did.

The driver was unhurt but the left rear tire of the van burst.

One of the policemen pursued a suspect at the basement parking lot of the 18 story building but stopped at entering the bank to prevent a hostage taking incident, said Makati police chief Senior Superintendent Jovy Gutierrez.

Gutierrez said he also received information that the robbers tried to herd employees and clients into one room.

The robbers were gone in less than five minutes, using two white vans and a dark green Revo as get-away vehicles, said witness Selwyn Alopijan, a writer for a community magazine.

After the robbers fled toward Buendia Avenue, SWAT teams cordoned off and searched the area amid reports that some of the gunmen could still be around. None were found, police said.

Members of the elite Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police were dispatched to provide security to other office buildings.

A police manhunt was immediately launched and a portion of the Makati financial district was sealed off to commuters.

Gutierrez noted the similarities of this latest incident with the four other bank robberies that had happened in his area since February.

"It could be a similar group," he said.

Among the similarities were the heavy firearms of the robbers, who were also dressed in military fatigues.

Meanwhile, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay was angry at the security guards who prevented the police from entering the building immediately to conduct an investigation.

Binay, who rushed to the scene, was himself made to wait outside the bank for at least 30 minutes. Bank officials also allegedly refused to speak with the mayor.

The mayor said the delay was detrimental to the police investigation.

Binay said he would call for a meeting soon with bank officials and the police to discuss the procedures to take in cases such as robberies.

It was almost 5 p.m. when Patrick Cheng, retail branch director of Citibank, came out of the building to announce that no one was hurt in the incident and that there was minimal damage to property.

Citibank would also be open for business today, Cheng added. – With AP, AFP