Army man tagged in money changer shop robberies

Police tagged yesterday an enlisted man and his cohort, a self-confessed member of the Guardian Brotherhood, as part of the seven-man robbery gang responsible for a series of heists on money exchange shops in Manila and nearby cities.

Cpl. Juanito Castillano, 29, assigned at the 3rd Infantry Battalion, 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army in Fort Magsaysay, Palayan City, and civilian Bradd Galea, 23, of the Guardian Brotherhood, Batangas chapter, were arrested last Thursday afternoon at the corner of M.H. del Pilar and Pedro Gil streets in Ermita on board two motorcycles.

Apart from riding without helmets, the two were acting suspiciously, prompting patrolling policemen to inspect their belongings, according to Manila Police District (MPD) acting director Senior Superintendent Danilo Abarzosa.

Recovered from the suspects were two unlicensed caliber .45 pistols with loaded magazines.

During custodial investigation, one Edward Day, a messenger of Chicago Heart Money Exchange, positively identified the arrested suspects as the same men who robbed him at gunpoint of $10,000 last June 30.

A black motorcycle (UB-2938) ridden by one of the suspects turned out to have been taken at gunpoint from one Arman Comiso last June 28 after robbing him of at least $10,000.

Anti-car theft operatives, led by Chief Inspector Benigno Macalindong, are now trying to determine the ownership of the other motorcycle (UR-3859).

Four more money exchange shops employees and owners positively identified the two suspects as among the armed men who held them up on separate occasions, running away with millions of pesos in loot.

"We are now tracing the whereabouts of the other members of the gang. With their two companions in custody, we hope to neutralize this rob gang and ease the fears of the money exchange shops owners," said MPD’s Theft and Robbery Section commander Chief Inspector Dominador Arevalo Jr.

Money exchange shop robberies have become rampant, prompting Rep. Suharto Mangudadatu of Sultan Kudarat to offer a P200,000 reward for every captured suspect.

He also donated P100,000 to the MPD for its intelligence gathering to neutralize the gang.

Arevalo said the suspects are now facing four counts of robbery, vehicle theft and illegal possession of firearms.