Charges filed vs wounded suspect in Batangas heist

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines – Charges of robbery with homicide and frustrated homicide were filed yesterday against a 19-year-old suspect who was wounded in a robbery in a Batangas lodging inn before dawn Wednesday.

Senior Superintendent Omega Jireh Fidel, Batangas police director, said charges were filed against suspect Israel Aquino, whose two cohorts, identified as security guard Mark Joe Acal, 25, and Rodel Bas, 22, were gunned down following the heist at the El Richland Travel Lodge.

Fidel said the gang was also behind last Tuesday’s robbery in a restaurant in Tanauan City, Batangas where they seized the gun of a security guard.

Police investigators were verifying reports that the group was also res-ponsible for the string of robberies in Calamba City and in the third district of Laguna.

Donna Blancaflor, 18, cashier of El Richland Travel Lodge, was also killed in the heist. Two other employees, Christian Jay Velela, 18, and Justine Macalintal, were critically wounded.

Police said the owner of the lodging inn forgot something and called up the front desk, and heard Blancaflor on the background asking for help. He then heard successive gunshots.

The owner rushed back to the lodging inn and chanced upon the suspects on board a motorcycle. He fired shots, killing one of the three suspects.

The two other suspects went back to the inn, triggering a standoff as policemen rushed to the scene.

Police said one of the two went to another compound but was shot and wounded. The last one, said to be the robbery group’s leader, hid inside the inn but was fatally shot.