Softdrink plant falls prey to robbery gang

Four armed men staged a daring robbery at a softdrink plant in Marikina City, carting away some P500,000 in cash.

Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr., Marikina City police chief, said they will invite for questioning three security guards of the Cosmos Bottling Co. plant at the corner of Molave and Gen. Ordoñez streets in Barangay Parang, noting they acted "strangely" during the heist.

Rojas said the three security guards were supposed to be manning the main gates of the compound but only one of them, Alexander Aguaron, was at his post when the robbers knocked on the steel door.

The suspects had pretended to deliver a letter to one of the employees.

Aguaron opened the door.

Police said Aguaron failed to follow company instructions for the security guards to use the peep hole.

Once the gate was opened, the suspects took out their handguns, disarmed Aguaron and rushed inside the cashier’s office. They dragged cashier Sonny Valencia to the vault and at gunpoint ordered him to open it.

After scooping the cash into a bag, the suspects casually flagged down a passing passenger jeepney and escaped.

Two other security guards gave different reasons to explain why they were not with Aguaron at the time of the robbery.

Police said the robbers appeared familiar with the plant’s layout and knew where the cashier’s office was. They easily identified Valencia as the cashier from among several employees.

The softdrink company assured police of full cooperation from Aguaron and the two other unidentified guards in the investigation of the robbery. — Non Alquitran