Driver, brother rob bus of former employer

MANILA, Philippines - A bus driver, bitter about getting dismissed from the bus company he worked for, decided to rob one of its buses, with the help of his brother, in Valenzuela City yesterday.

Senior Superintendent Ranier Idio, Valenzuela City police chief, identified the suspects as Romeo Cuison, 43, of Angeles Street, Barangay Pasolo, Valenzuela City and his brother, Luis, 41, who was booked as an accomplice. Reports showed that a Gold Express bus (TYP-757) driven by Danilo Baili was on its way to the bus terminal in Barangay Malanday when it was flagged down by the duo along Macarthur Highway.

Knowing them, Baili stopped to pick them up but was surprised when, soon after, the two suspects pulled out knives and declared a holdup.

PO2 Servando Maducduc, of the Valenzuela City police investigation and follow-up unit, said that the suspects, armed with bladed weapons, robbed the Gold Express bus at around 1:30 p.m. at its terminal in Barangay Malanday. The suspects waited for all the passengers to alight from the bus and approached the driver, Danilo Barlis, 43, and his conductor Robert Oller announcing the heist.

Romeo, at knifepoint, told Barlis to drive the bus away from the terminal and later ordered him to bring them to Marilao, Bulacan. Luis divested Oller of their collection amounting to more than P5,000. They warned the victims not to be hostile.

Upon reaching Barangay Patubig in Marilao, Luis told Barlis to vacate his seat. Luis drove the bus to Norzagaray where they dropped Barlis and Oller unharmed.

The victims immediately sought the Marilao police assistance. The cops recovered the carjacked bus in Barangay Bitungol, Norzagaray. The Bulacan police coordinated with Idio’s office.

A joint operation led by Senior Inspector Muammar Mukaram of the Valenzuela City police resulted in the two suspects’ arrest in their respective houses but the police failed to recover the P5,000 loot. Maducduc said the suspects were quickly apprehended for the victims knew them. Romeo was a dismissed driver/mechanic of the Malanday Gold Express Corp., owner of the carjacked bus, while Luis is an “active driver” of the company.   – Jerry Botial, Pete Laude