Manhunt on for 12 tagged in UP heist

Police are hunting down 12 persons identified to be part of a band of robbers behind the attack on an armored van at the University of the Philippines-Diliman campus last Monday.

“These persons are remnants of the robbery groups of the past like Kuratong Baleleng, Waray-Waray and Abuyog gangs,” Superintendent Franklin Moises Mabanag, chief of the Quezon City Police District-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, said.

Without divulging the names of the 12 persons, Mabanag said they were identified following the analysis of at least nine other previous heists in the metropolis, in which the same group was said to be involved.

These past heists were at IDS Logistics in Parañaque last July 10; Freshtex in Muntinlupa last July 16, Teletech in Cainta, Rizal in August; Scimtar Marketing in Manila on Sept. 26; WellBest in Pasig City on Oct. 1; the Light Rail Transit depot in Pasay City on Oct. 13; Wilcon Builders Depot on Oct. 31; St. Scholastica’s College in Manila last Oct. 31; and a warehouse of the National Food Authority in Marikina City last July 23.

“Based on the videos from the places where the past robberies happened and the inputs given by all the units of the NCRPO (National Capital Region Police Office), we were able to cross match them and come up with a list (of the suspects),” Mabanag said.

However, Mabanag and his fellow police officials said a memorandum of agreement (MOA) barring policemen from entering the campus is “hampering the police investigation” into the robbery outside the UP Bahay ng Alumni, in which heavily armed men shot dead security guards Rene Demerey and Renato Reyes and bank teller Genaro Aguirre before taking an undetermined amount of money from an armored van. The money was supposed to be deposited at a branch of the Philippine Veterans Bank located at the Bahay ng Alumni.

Mabanag said when his policemen went to the campus last Wednesday to ask around for witnesses to further pin down a suspect – identified as a certain Beverly Rocha, who reportedly acted as a lookout for the robbers in Monday’s heist – they were told that they first needed to secure a clearance from the UP administration.

He said this was the same thing that happened to their investigators when they were looking into the case of UP student Cris Mendez, who was allegedly killed in a fraternity hazing.

QCPD-CIDU deputy chief Superintendent Marcelino Pedrozo Jr. said this policy has even delayed the response of the police last Monday.

Apart from the sensational crimes that happened at the campus, petty crimes occur at the university because of the absence of policemen there, according to Superintendent Antonio Yarra.

Pedrozo said the agreement, which was put in place during the time of the Marcos dictatorship, has become “obsolete.”

“They misinterpret our presence there for surveillance.... The MOA should be rescinded because it impedes the speedy solution of the cases and the attainment of justice for the victims,” Mabanag noted.

The STAR tried to contact Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs Dr. Grace Gregorio, the designated point person of the UP administration on the issue, but she was not available for an interview as of yesterday afternoon.