Philippines: To avoid arrest, rogue cops involved in P30-million robbery tossed cash

MANILA: Suspected robbers, including four rogue police officers, tossed cash amounting to 1.3-million pesos ($26,000) out of a reported P30-million-peso ($600,901) loot in order to elude arrest during hot-pursuit operations, local media reported.

The chase resulted in the arrest of 4 cops and a civilian accomplice allegedly involved in a robbery in Pasig, in Manila. The four officers are now under "restrictive custody," the Philippine News Agency reported Sunday.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Sunday identified the arrested suspects as Staff Sgt. Jayson Bartolome, Cpl. Merick Desoloc, Cpl. Christian Jerome Reyes, and Patrolman Kirk Joshua Almojera — all assigned at the Taguig City Police Station — and a certain AJ Mary Agnas, dubbed as a “staff of the victims.”

The suspects were arrested in Pasig City, Manila, on Saturday but police reported it on Sunday. The NCRPO report added that two persons, including a Japanese national, earlier sought help from authorities after being robbed in Barangay Kapitolyo on Saturday. The responding police officers immediately launched pursuit operations and traced the fleeing suspects in Pasig.

Cash tossed

“The suspects, in their attempt to elude arrest, tossed/threw some cash money in the amount of P1.3 million ($26,000),” according to the police report.

"During the pursuit, suspects fired at the responding police officers — prompting the latter to retaliate until the two suspects abandoned their motorcycles and climbed the closed gate at West Capitol Drive corner Sta. Monica Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City,” the report added.

The suspects then forcibly took the motorcycle of a motorist before fleeing from the pursuing police operatives towards the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig and in Makati City.

The stolen motorcycle was later seen abandoned beside the Pasig Mega Parking Plaza along Caruncho Avenue.

Follow-up operations by the Pasig City Police Station’s Intelligence Section with the Sub-Station 1 personnel, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team, and Criminal Investigation Section led to the arrest of Reyes and Agnas

Meanwhile, Desoloc and Almojera voluntarily surrendered to the Taguig City Police Station and were later turned over to the Pasig City Police Station.

9 million pesos recovered

Police said P9 million (about $180,300) in cash was recovered from Reyes while P100,000 ($2,000) cash was recovered from Desoloc. The firearms of the four arrested policemen were also recovered, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos on Sunday ordered the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) to hold under custody Staff Sgt. Jayson Bartolome, Cpl. Merick Desoloc, Cpl. Christian Jerome Reyes, and Patrolman Kirk Joshua Almojera. The four, assigned at the Taguig City Police Station, were among 8 suspects who allegedly staged a robbery in Barangay Kapitolyo at about 12:10 am.

The suspects allegedly held at gunpoint domestic partners Joana Marie Flores Espiritu, 26, and Japanese Kani Toshiro, 42.

Gen. Carlos also instructed NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. to place Maj. Nimrod Balgemini Jr., commander of Taguig Sub-Station 1, on administrative relief to preclude any possibility of undue influence in the investigation.

NCRPO has stepped up pursuit operations against two other suspects, dismissed cop Ferdinand Fallari and a certain Ruwel Galang, who eluded arrest. AJ Mary Agnas, 22, who allegedly “works” for the victims, was also arrested while a certain Jhon Carlo Atienza, 30, was found dead with a gunshot wound at the corner of Kalayaan Avenue and Tolentino Street in Barangay Pinagkaisahan, Makati City, PNA reported.

Initial reports show the suspects forced Toshiro to open a vault and scooped out an estimated Php30 million cash and a mobile phone.