‘Termite Gang’ men plead not guilty in bank heist

MANILA, Philippines — Suspected members of the “Termite Gang” yesterday pleaded not guilty to the P7-million Chinabank heist in Quezon City last year.

Alyson Aligan, Jordan Duldulao and two of their alleged cohorts, Melbert Bautista and Mbrose Rex Layao, entered the plea during their arraignment before the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 31.

The court also issued a warrant of arrest against one of the respondents, Gerald Bawas, who failed to appear at the arraignment.

There is already a standing arrest warrant against Bawas in connection with a robbery at a hardware store in Dasmarinas, Cavite last year. 

Bawas’ co-accused in the Chinabank robbery, Aligan and Duldulao, are being held in different detention facilities over the same hardware store robbery where an estimated P1 million and documents were stolen from the safety vault.   

Duldulao is also facing charges of illegal possession of explosives at a Quezon City Regional Trial Court.

The five respondents posted bail of P12,000 each for the robbery charges after they were arrested in a followup operation less than a month after the heist at the bank. 

Police said the suspects managed to enter the bank at the corner of Camaro street and Commonwealth Avenue in Barangay Greater Fairview by digging a tunnel from the drainage canals outside the bank.

Aligan, Duldulao and Bawas admitted that they served as lookouts during the heist, where in they were able to destroy the main bank vault and more than 40 safety deposit boxes and stole P7.6 million in cash and valuables.