Cops identify suspect in fitness center robbery

One of the six robbery-holdup suspects who broke inside a posh fitness center in Muntinlupa City and robbed some 30 clients of their valuables was identified by the local police yesterday.

Senior Superintendent Erasto Lim Sanchez, Muntinlupa police chief, said one of the victims was able to identify the suspect as one of the six regular repairmen at the Fitness First Center located at West Gate, Filinvest Corporate, Barangay Alabang.

Sanchez said there is a possibility that the repairman, who was not named pending ongoing follow-up operations, provided the inside information to the armed group. "He is one of those who repair leaks in the building," he said.

PO3 Greg Ojas said that at around 12 noon on Saturday, four men carrying Fitness First traveling bags and towels, posed as members and were allowed to enter the establishment by the security guard on duty, identified as Charlie Umalde, of Night Hawk Security Agency.

Once inside, the suspects pulled out their caliber .45 pistols and announced a heist and took the valuables of the 30 people who were inside the fitness center.

"But it appeared that the suspects were merely amateur robbers because they failed to break inside the manager’s room where the vault is located," Ojas said.

The suspects only carted away the cellular phones and wallets of the 30 people. The police has yet to determine the total amount of the loot because some of the victims were no longer interested in filing a formal complaint to the police.

Sanchez noted, however, that there were lapses in the center’s security. "There should be more than one security guard. The guard should have stayed outside the door and request the members to show their membership cards before they are allowed inside the building," he said.

The employees also sounded the alarm way too late and it was even the security guard detailed at an adjoining Korean restaurant who called the police after hearing a commotion at the center.

Less than five minutes later, the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team of the Muntinlupa police arrived at the center and chased the robbers on board two Enduro motorbikes to Makati City. But the suspects took two separate ways and the police lost them in Barangay Buting, Pasig City. — Evelyn Macairan