Man nabbed for robbing jeepney passengers on his birthday

CEBU, Philippines – A man celebrated his birthday behind bars after he robbed jeepney passengers on N. Bacalso Avenue, Barangay Labangon, Cebu City yesterday morning.

Police said the suspect, Raymundo Pilapil Licaros, who turned 43 yesterday, resident of B. Aranas Ext., Barangay Duljo-Fatima, alleged he just wanted to have money for his birthday celebration.

Licaros' accomplice, a certain Bruce Leng, 37, of Rizal Avenue, Barangay Labangon, was also arrested later.

At around 9 a.m., passengers Manuel Pacaña, Jr., 22, and Jesusa Embalsado, 44, both from Barangay Tisa, were aboard a passenger jeepney with route number 12B towards downtown area, when upon reaching A. Lopez St., the suspects boarded and stood on its step board.

But when they reached the vicinity of Citilink Terminal along N. Bacalso Avenue, Licaros suddenly punched Pacaña without any reason, declared a hold-up, and grabbed the victim's Nokia cellular phone.

The victim reportedly tried to fight back but Leng pulled out a knife and pointed it to the victim. Leng then pointed the knife to Embalsado who was sitting near the step board and demanded her to hand over her Samsung cellular phone.

The suspects then disembarked and ran towards A. Lopez St.

A sidewalk vendor, who witnessed the incident, alerted roving personnel of the Mobile Patrol Group, PO3 Eutemio Reyes and PO1 Manuel Paez III, who were on board car 009.

The policemen managed to corner Licaros near Uy Medical Clinic and recovered from his possession Pacaña's cellular phone.

Personnel of the Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) team led by Chief Insp. Arnel Banzon conducted a hot pursuit operation and arrested Leng near the residence of one Amado Pepito.

Both suspects were positively identified by the victims as the same persons who robbed them.

Interviewed at his detention cell inside the CCPO headquarters, Licaros said he and Leng just suddenly thought of staging a robbery as he wanted to have money to celebrate his birthday. (FREEMAN)