Four armed men robbed a hotel and its guests in Pasay City early Tuesday and fled with at least P4 million worth of cash and valuables.
The robbers, armed with short firearms, barged into Mabuhay Manor Hotel at 2933 Ortigas corner F.B. Harrison Streets around 3:19 a.m. They grabbed the .38-caliber service firearm of duty guard Jho-an Jabagat and took all the money from the cash register amounting to P33,000, police said.
Dominador Castro, an overseas Filipino worker who was at the hotel with three members of his family, and other guests were not spared by the robbers, who took their cash and valuables, including a Rolex watch, and assorted gadgets and jewelries.
After the heist, the robbers fled on board their getaway vehicle, a black Hyundai Starex van, and sped off toward Roxas Boulevard.
Pasay City Police chief for operations Supt. Gene Licud tapped Senior Police Officer 2 Dennis Desalisa and Police Officer 3 Catalino Gazmen to probe the crime.
Meanwhile, National Capital Region Police Office Director Oscar Albayalde ordered investigators to get the video footage taken by the closed-circuit television camera during the heist.
“I ordered the chief of police there to get the CCTV to identify the robbers and the video footage in the areas where the getaway vehicle passes through. We’re also asking for the cooperation of the hotel management,” Albayalde said.
Mabuhay Manor’s regular clients are mostly balikbayans and OFWs. The hotel is 10-minute drive from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and sports more than 100 rooms.
Last November, authorities warned the public against members of criminal groups who were expected to go around commercial centers, shopping malls, public conveyances, and other crowded areas in Metro Manila during the holiday season.
The NCRPO had also ordered all its district commanders—in the Central, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Manila police districts—to double their alert status in their jurisdictions in anticipation of possible crimes.
Police also warned of various modus operandi of criminals, including members of what they called “Intruders,” who are thieves preying on workplaces with little to no security.
The gang may take on different disguises, like posing as an employee’s friend, visitor, or as a messenger, complete with a visitor’s ID. They target valuables like mobile phones, cash, laptops, and credit cards.