The Philippine Online Chronicles

Armed robbers killed a bank teller and two guards while looting a moneychanger inside a mall in Cavite.

Dasmariñas City police chief Superintendent Ulysses Cruz said six suspects carted away P5 million in cash from JMY moneychanger inside Robinson’s Place, Aguinaldo Highway.

According to reports, the teller Rey Tingco, escorted by the guards Felipe Cipres and Melo Quinabandal, had withdrawn the money from the bank and was about to deposit it to the moneychanger when the gunmen declared a robbery.

A shootout ensued between the robbers and the guards. Cipres was killed on the spot while the teller and the other guard died while being treated in a hospital.

The six robbers escaped by riding motorcycles, according to witnesses.

Cruz said it was the third moneychanger shop heist in the area since last year.

The first was on May 24, 2010 with the thieves stealing P13.5 million. The second involved P10 million. The robbers apprehended the moneychanger owner’s brother on a bus.

Cruz said it seems to have been carried out by the same group.

In a press conference, provincial police director Senior Superintendent John Bulalacao said three of the gunmen’s faces were caught in the mall’s CCTV cameras. The police blamed the mall guard’s “lack of enthusiasm” in checking the persons going inside the mall and the lack of security equipment which caused the robbers to get in without being detected.

Bulalacao said some of the gunmen were also wounded as blood was found in their escape route.

Gas station robbed for the 3^rd time

Meanwhile, a gasoline station in Quezon City was robbed for the third time in the span of two weeks.

The Caltex station in Baesa, Tandang Sora was robbed around 6:30 a.m. by two men riding a motorcycle. DzMM reported that the suspects were able to get P4,000 from the cashier. One of the robbers acted as lookout while the other held the cashier at gunpoint using a .38 revolver.

Last week, the suspects were able steal P2,000. The days later after that they took P3,000.

This happened even while police are on full alert in preparation for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.