Pasay police identifies one of 4 French man's attackers

MANILA, Philippines - The Pasay City Police on Wednesday said they will file charges of robbery with homicide against a member of the dreaded Alvin Flores robbery gang who, along with three others, robbed and killed a 68-year-old French man in front of the Heritage Hotel in Pasay City last March 8.

Senior Superintendent Conrado Capa, Southern Police District Deputy Director for Operations and head of the task force that investigated the case, said in a press conference that they have positively identified the Alvin Flores gang member as Richard Adilan.

Police said Adilan was the owner and driver of the 1990 Toyota Corolla (PPV-904) where the three robbers transferred to from a motorcycle shortly after shooting and robbing Pierre Paul Franz Hofman.

It was earlier reported that Hofman was walking with two companions in front of the Heritage Hotel when two still-unidentified men suddenly appeared and grabbed his shoulder bag containing around 750 euros (around P40,000).  Hofman resisted, prompting one of the robbers to shoot him, police said.

The suspects then fled on a motorcycle driven by another still unidentified suspect. From the motorcycle, witnesses told police they saw the three suspects board the Toyota Corolla driven by Adilan.

Hofman was rushed to the San Juan de Dios Hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Hofman sustained three gunshot wounds.

Capa told reporters that they have traced the ownership of the Toyota Corolla sedan to a certain Richard Gamelo who lives in General Trias in Cavite. However, when police interviewed Gamelo, it  was learned that the sedan had already been sold successively to several people. Police said the last owner of the vehicle was
Adilan, who bought the car last December.

Capa said Adilan remains at-large and still being tracked down by police.

“We will be able to identify the other unidentified suspects in the case once we get Adilan,” he said.

Meanwhile, Capa said the caliber .45 shells found at the scene where Hofman was killed matched the shells found by police at the robbery at the Robinson’s Metro East mall in Pasig last June 22.