Also arrested by barangay tanods led by Rene Mercado of the Barangay (Longos) Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) with Joel Catapal, 30, a native of Barangay Buri, Palo, Leyte and a resident of Pampano street, Longos, Malabon were his companions Journey de la Cruz, 26, a native of Palompon, Leyte and resident of Rolling Hills, Quezon City and Arvin Corpuz, 19, of Barangay 3, Sangandaan, Caloocan City.
PO3 Rommel Habig, officer-on-case, said Catapal was later found out to be a parolee from the Bureau of Corrections previously convicted for highway robbery, but released for good behavior last May 22.
Recovered from the suspects were three knives, an 11-inch, 9 1/2-inch and 9-inch, respectively; a plastic replica of a caliber .38 caliber revolver and a 7-inch icepick.
Records showed the barangay watchmen were conducting a visibility patrol when they chanced upon the suspects at around 3:30 a.m. acting suspiciously in a dark area in the barangay known to be an ambush site for robberies and holdups.
When frisked as a standard procedure, the suspects yielded the deadly weapons. – Jerry Botial