A NOTHER heist took place in southern Metro Manila, this time in Parañaque City, where four armed men looted cash and valuables from an eatery and its customers.
Police said Friday the robbery happened inside Goto Bar along Dasa Street in Barangay San Isidro around 2:30 a.m. Thursday.
Authorities are investigating if the robbers were part of the same group of men who barged into Mabuhay Manor Hotel Tuesday morning in Pasay City and carted away at least P4 million worth of cash and valuables from the establishment and its guests in just five minutes.
Initial investigation showed the robbers took the P7,000 cash earnings of the eatery and the Samsung mobile phone and tablet worth at least P11,000 owned by store manager Marilyn Vizzara.
One of the customers, Aniceto Manalo, was also robbed of his personal valuables and cash amounting to P6,500.
Police said the robbers, all wearing motorcycle helmets, barged into the establishment and at gunpoint announced the heist.
During the robbery, Manalo was shot and wounded on his left thigh by one of the robbers.
The victim was rushed to the Las Piñas City General Hospital and is now in a stable condition, according to police.
The robbers fled on board motorcycles toward the direction of Sucat Road.
National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Oscar Albayalde ordered the immediate relief of the police community precinct commander in the area.
He also gave investigators two days to resolve and identify the persons responsible for the robbery.
“Although, the money involved was not that big, still it’s a robbery. We have seen four armed men and this is not an ordinary group,” said Albayalde.
“We are conducting followup operation on this case and I’ve given the chief of police two days to resolve the case.”
There were also reports that one of the robbers tried to hurt a child during the robbery.
Last Tuesday, four armed men also stormed Mabuhay Manor Hotel at the corner streets of Ortigas and F.B. Harrison in Pasay City where a Filipino-American guest and other customers were robbed of at least P4 million worth of cash and important personal belongings.
The robbers, armed with short firearms, grabbed the .38-cal service firearm of the duty guard Jho-an Jabagat and divested all the money from the cash register amounting to P33,000.
Dominador Castro, at the hotel with three members of his family, and other guests of the establishment were not spared by the robbers who took their cash and valuables, including a Rolex watch, and assorted gadgets and pieces of jewelry.
After the heist, the robbers fled on board their getaway vehicle, a black Hyundai Starex van, and sped off toward the direction of Roxas Boulevard.
Police are looking at the possibility of an inside job.
Meanwhile, the Taguig City police arrested five individuals, believed to be members of a robbery-holdup gang, after they were chanced upon having a gambling session in Sitio 8 in Fort Bonifacio.
The suspects were identified as Nicanor Canlas, 53; Nelson Villegas, 49; both residents of Western Bicutan, Taguig City; Reynario Acdog, 46, of Moonwalk, Parañaque
City;
Jefferson Musa, 22, and Willar Baula, both residents of Fort Bonifacio, also in Taguig City.
Recovered from the suspects were a .38-cal. revolver and four live ammunitions and one .45-cal pistol.
Investigation showed two of the suspects—Musa and Baula—were responsible for robbing a woman in Pasong Tamo, Makati City last November.
