14 suspects face charges for UP robbery

Fourteen suspects in the armored van robbery in the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman will be charged with robbery with homicide before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.

Superintendent Antonio Yarra, Quezon City police Criminal and Detection Unit chief, told reporters thee suspects were identified by witnesses as the perpetrators of the robbery outside the Bahay ng Alumni on Nov. 10.

Twelve suspects have been arrested by police, while two others remain at large. Police are still searching for suspects Beverly Rocha and Cynthia Dizon, Yarra said.

Others to be charged include the seven men arrested by the Manila police in Bacoor, Cavite last Dec. 6. All are members of the Waray-Waray-Ozamis robbery gang that figured in a shootout with police in Parañaque two weeks ago.

Police Officer 3 Pascual Fabreag said those in Manila police custody are: Rolando Osorio alias Rico Malmis or Kalag; Ariel Bundaon Sr. alias Bokbok; Jick Castro alias Reygie Replaso or Jeck Jeck; Leo Barrios alias Dodong; Ramir Labandero alias Negro; Janbert Bunadaon alias Jan and Richard Adilan alias Ameng.

The criminal complaint will also include Edgar Cayanan, Dionisio Espina, Benjamin Conteno, Armando Dehino, and Jocelyn Hernandez, who were arrested by the Regional Police Intelligence Operating Unit of the National Capital Region Police Office.

Yarra said four of the slain men in the Parañaque shootout were identified by witnesses in the UP armored van robbery: Charlito Azarcon, Avelino Abayan, Armando Dente and a certain alias Dodot Tisoy.

PO3 Rogelio Basbas said representatives of the Philippine Veterans Bank went to their office yesterday and declared that the cash taken away from the armored van amounted to P1.8 million.

“The amount is based on the bank’s official audit report,” Basbas said.

In the Diliman campus robbery, the gunmen shot dead two security guards and a bank teller of Philippine Veterans Bank. – Reinir Padua