Ex-soldier, laborer face raps for P.4-million foreign exchange shop heist

MANILA, Philippines - A former member of the Philippine Army and a laborer were arrested over the weekend for allegedly robbing a foreign exchange shop worker of P400,000 in Quezon City.

Although the police were not able to recover the money owned by the Nicole Ashley Money Changer shop, victim Alfredo de Luna identified former Army Private First Class Jonathan Angon as the man who robbed him before noon Thursday, said Superintendent Jesus Balingasa Jr., commander of the Quezon City Police District-Station 2.

Angon’s alleged cohort, carpenter Orlando Alipio Jr., admitted to planning the robbery with the former soldier, Balingasa said.

According to Balingasa, they went all the way to Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija to arrest Alipio last Sunday.

Alipio then disclosed the whereabouts of Angon, who was arrested in Tondo, Manila at past midnight yesterday.

Police said De Luna was about to deliver the money to the shop when Angon robbed him at gunpoint.

Balingasa said a vendor in the area said the man who robbed De Luna was talking to someone two hours before the robbery. He said the description of the second man fitted Alipio, who was working on a carpentry job at the house of the shop’s owner.

A brother of the shop’s owner also recalled seeing Alipio talking to a man who appeared to be the same as the one who robbed De Luna.

A woman vendor, who Alipio was reportedly courting, said Alipio introduced her to a man who appeared to be the same one who robbed De Luna.

 “We also noted that a day after the incident happened, Alipio packed his bags and went to his hometown in Cabanatuan City,” Balingasa said, adding that Alipio “immediately admitted to tipping off Angon about the money” being delivered by De Luna.

Balingasa said they are calling on Angon’s other victims to file charges. “I suspect this guy (Angon) may have victimized other people. Having been dismissed from the Army, this guy has no job and could have made robbery his source of income,” he said.

Balingasa said Alipio and Angon were scheduled to undergo inquest proceedings yesterday for robbery charges.      – Reinir Padua