3 jeepney passengers robbed near NPD headquarters

Three jeepney passengers lost cash and valuables to four unidentified armed men who declared a heist as the vehicle approached the Northern Police District headquarters in Caloocan City Saturday night.

The robbers took cell phones, more than P1,000, wallets with identification cards and other important documents from students Romeo Anecito Jr., 19, and Michael Santiago, 17; and Ronald Sarmiento, 31.

The victims told the police that at least four passengers boarded the Malabon-bound jeepney they were riding on C-3 Road at around 9:30 p.m.

But upon reaching the corner of Dagat-Dagatan Avenue and Tanigue street in Kaunlaran Village, the four men, armed with handguns and knives, announced the robbery.

They took the victims’ belongings and fled toward a squatters’ colony in the area. The victims sought the assistance of the cops at the nearby NPD headquarters, but the police failed to arrest any of the robbers.

Dagat-Dagatan Avenue is a major thoroughfare that links Caloocan City to Malabon. Though the avenue is lined with police stations, it is considered as a crime-prone area due to the lack of streetlights.

Last December, a taxi driver was robbed and killed by unidentified suspects in the area. The incident was followed by another jeepney robbery.

During a follow-up operation, police were able to arrest three suspected members of a highway robbery group.

Despite the arrest, passenger jeepney robberies continue to happen in the area. The latest recorded incident occurred last Saturday. – Pete Laude