Slain rob suspects tagged in QC church heist

MANILA, Philippines - The suspected robbers who were killed in an encounter with Quezon City policemen on Monday allegedly broke into the St. Peter Parish church along Commonwealth Avenue, police said yesterday.

Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Chief Superintendent Mario dela Vega said a witness identified the two slain suspects as the ones he saw outside the church Sunday morning, when the monstrance was found to have been stolen.

In a recent interview, QCPD deputy director for operations Senior Superintendent Joel Pagdilao said the man with a shaved head, who was among those slain on Monday, was the one seen by a vendor walking out of the church carrying a bag that was believed to have contained the monstrance.

According to Pagdilao, the loss of the gold monstrance from the adoration chapel was discovered at past 7 a.m. on Sunday by the church’s security guard.

But prior to this, a vendor positioned by the entrance of the church saw a red Toyota Innova momentarily parked on the sidewalk. The vendor told the police that he was even approached by the two men. “Minutes later, he (vendor) saw the one with shaved head coming out of the church and already carrying a bag,” Pagdilao said.

On Monday, the same two men were slain in an encounter with personnel of the QCPD Station 6 along Commonwealth Avenue.

“When he (vendor) saw the TV footage and photos of the slain suspects, he was positive they were the same ones he saw the day before,” Pagdilao said.

Following the encounter on Monday morning in BF Homes Subdivision, Barangay Holy Spirit, policemen found in the possession of the suspects identification cards belonging to Jay Ruiz, a reporter for ABS-CBN, and his family. The slain men were allegedly the same ones who broke into the house of Ruiz in Mapayapa Village, based on surveillance camera footage.

On Monday morning, the police were tipped off by village guards after the Toyota Innova carrying the suspects was seen aimlessly roaming in the subdivision.  Pagdilao said the vendor outside St. Peter Parish positively identified the red Innova as the same vehicle he saw on Sunday.