The Philippine National Police (PNP) is investigating the case of Caloocan City Police Captain Ronnie Sarto, who was killed after allegedly robbing a convenience store in Marilao, Bulacan. Authorities say money and debt issues may have driven him to commit the crime.
According to Major Hazel Asilo, spokesperson of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), Sarto was the assistant chief of the Station Investigation and Detective Management Section of the North Caloocan City Police Station. He reportedly had no derogatory record, but his food and RTW business collapsed during the pandemic.
“Based on our checking, he is already out of loan,” Asilo said.
Bulacan Police Provincial Office Director Col. Angel Garcillano said Marilao Municipal Police personnel responded to a 911 call and encountered Sarto less than 30 minutes after the robbery. Employees identified him as the armed man who committed the crime.
He reportedly changed clothes at a barangay before fleeing, and also attempted to rob a gas station. “We are checking whether he was involved in other incidents in Bulacan, including Marilao, Meycauayan City, and San Jose del Monte,” Garcillano said.
Sarto was killed in a subsequent police encounter. He allegedly used a PNP-issued 9mm pistol against officers. Police Regional Office 3 Director Brig. Gen. Ponce Rogelio I. Peñones said the case is under investigation to determine possible links to a wider criminal group operating in Bulacan and nearby provinces.
Follow-up investigations indicate Sarto may have participated in a series of robberies and holdups in the area since early this year. Authorities confirmed the case was not a case of mistaken identity.
