Policeman foils Ermita robbery: Cop kills robber inside jeepney

CEBU, Philippines — He may have been at the wrong place at the wrong time or, perhaps, to his supposed victims, the timing may have just been right.

Hygie Mambiar boarded a public utility jeepney bound for uptown Cebu City Sunday night intending to rob its passengers only to find his plan quelled by an off-duty policeman on board.

Mambiar reportedly declared a holdup at 8:50 p.m. as the jeepney was traversing the corner of Magallanes and El Filibusterismo Streets in Barangay Ermita.

As Mambiar was getting the mobile phones of passengers, the cop on board, PO3 Nemesio Dinopol, reportedly tried to talk to him and told him he is a policemen but Mambiar instead aimed his .9mm revolver at Dinopol.

Dinopol was reportedly left with no choice but to shoot Mambiar, hitting him in the chest twice.

Mambiar tried to escape but slumped to the ground a few meters away from the jeepney. He was brought to Cebu City Medical Center but did not make it there alive.

Chief Insp. Randy Caballes of the Carbon Police Station said Mambiar’s gun and four empty shells of a 9 mm Glock pistol that were recovered from the scene will undergo ballistic examination.

Caballes said Mambiar is the younger brother of Reynante Mambiar, 36, who was pointed to as the main suspect in the murder of disc jockey and a former media pageant contestant, Marie Alexie Bolonggaita.

“Kani si Hygie, is known for tulis and akyat bahay – igsuon sad ni siya atong nagpatay kay Bolonggaita (Hygie was known for robbery and theft. He is the brother of the suspect in Bolonggaita’s death),” Caballes said.

SPO1 Geoffrey Gutual said Dinopol’s action was within police operation procedures because his and his co-passengers’ lives were threatened.

Cebu City Police Director Royina Garma also said Dinopol’s act is commendable.

“I am happy na nagawa niya ito – it proves that being a police officer is not an 8 to 5 p.m. job – na kapag tapos na oras mo, hindi ka na pulis. Magandang halimbawa ito sa iba (I am happy of what he did – it proves that being a police officer is not an 8-5 p.m. job – that it does not mean you are no longer a policeman beyond duty hours. This is a good example to others),” Garma said. — Hannah Joy I. Yana JMO (FREEMAN)