Taguig police station chief axed over P30 million robbery

MANILA, Philippines — The commander of a police station in Taguig was relieved from his post yesterday after four of his subordinates allegedly robbed a Japanese man of at least P30 million in cash and gadgets in Pasig City on Saturday.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos said he sacked Maj. Nimrod Balgemino Jr., commander of the Taguig police sub-station 1, to prevent “undue influence in the investigation.”

Carlos ordered the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) to probe S/Sgt. Jayson Bartolome, Pat. Kirk Joshua Almojera and Corporals Merick Desoloc and Christian Jerome Reyes.

“I want to get to the bottom of this incident and unmask all persons involved in the crime,” Carlos said.

According to the NCRPO investigation, the police officers and their civilian cohort, John Carlo Atienza, broke into the Japanese’s house in Barangay Kapitolyo and held the victim and his partner at gunpoint.

The suspects opened the victim’s vault and allegedly stole around P30 million in cash and valuables.

The Japanese alerted police officers who were on patrol in the area.

Police said the suspects tossed away at least P1.3 million in cash as they escaped on four motorcycles and reportedly fired at responding officers during the chase.

Atienza died in the shootout while Bartolome was wounded.

The suspects abandoned their motorcycles and tried to escape on foot. Reyes and another civilian accomplice, AJ Mary Agnas, were apprehended during a follow-up operation, police said.

Desoloc and Almojera turned themselves in to the Taguig police. They were turned over to the custody of the Pasig police.

Probers said they recovered from the suspects part of the loot amounting to P8.9 million. Desoloc allegedly yielded P100,000.

Four loaded 9mm pistols, a Nokia cell phone and a Yamaha motorcycle were confiscated from the suspects, police said.

NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. said they have launched a manhunt for two other suspects: dismissed policeman Ferdinand Fallaria and Ruwel Galang.

Taguig Mayor Lino Cayetano said they would conduct a separate probe after investigators reported that a city hall employee was involved in the incident.

Cayetano said he would form a special investigation commitee to look into the robbery.