Robbery gang leader killed, 4 arrested

DAVAO CITY -- A suspected leader of a notorious robbery hold-up gang was killed after a shootout with policemen in Buhangin district, this city, early Saturday.

Superintendent Antonio Rivera identified the slain suspect as Ricky Pardillo alias Arpat, 40, the alleged leader of a hold-up gang who shot and killed Senior Police Officer 1 Ronie Panganiban on board a Rural Transit bus and divested passengers of their valuables last September 1.

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Rivera, head of the Investigation Detection and Management Section of Davao City Police Office (DCPO), said Pardillo was killed during a raid in his house at Cecilia Homes in Cabantian, Buhangin.

The raiding team that swooped down Pardillo’s residence at 12:45 a.m. recovered a .45 caliber pistol, a hand grenade, and a mobile phone.

Police said Pardillo is a native of Maramag town in Bukidnon province but temporarily sought refuge at Cecilia Homes in this city.

Pardillo, a former convict, already served time at the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (Dapecol) for some other crimes in the past.

Around 2 a.m. Saturday, four suspects in the same hold-up incident were arrested during a follow-up operation in Tugbok, Calinan district.

Police identified the arrested suspects as Eduardo Priete, 52, of Bolton Isla, Davao City; Benjamin Pepito, 48, of Tugbok, both of Davao City; and Rene Oracion, 32, and Efren Mangunay, both of Maramag, Bukidnon.

Like Pardillo, Priete also served time in Dapecol and was just released last June. He was arrested in his hide-out in Agdao district.

Manguray and Oracion, on the other hand, were arrested at the house of Benito Pepito at Kilometro 20, Los Amigos in Tugbok district.

Recovered from the suspects were a caliber .357 and caliber .38 revolvers, a hand grenade, a Skygo motorcycle, and several bags owned by the passengers of Rural Transit bus.

Investigators said the 9mm service firearm of the slain policeman was also recovered from the suspects.

Panganiban, along with Police Officer 2 Diamela Bargayo, was onboard a Rural Transit bus traveling along Davao-Bukidnon Highway at Sitio Pagan Grande in Tamugan district when six armed men boarded.

Incidentally, Panganiban of the Marilog Police Station was in uniform and armed when shot dead by the robbers around 8 p.m. of September 1.

The robbers killed Panganiban first before proceeding to divest the passengers of their valuables. He was seated in the middle part of the bus, while Bargayo, who was in civilian clothes, was seated at the back and thus escaped unharmed.

Pepito, one of the suspects, denied participation in the robbery while he was being interrogated by the police.

"Wa koy labot, sir. Ang nahitabo, miabot na si Arpat sa akong balay niadtong Agosto 31. Pagkasunod adlaw, milakaw sila paingon sa Marahan. Natingala nalang ko nianang pagkagabii nga miabot sila sa balay ug nagdala og daghang mga bag (I don't know anything. Arpat went to my house on August 31 but left for Marahan the next day. He returned to my house evening of September 1 bringing several bags)," Pepito said.

Pepito said Pardillo was his former neighbor in Bukidnon.

Oracion, for his part, told Sun.Star SuperBalita Davao that Pardillo contracted his services and had no knowledge of his activities.

"Nagkaila mi niya didto sa Bukidnon. Iyang gipaayo ang akong motor mao to nga iya kong gihangyo nga pakyawon. Nagkita mi didto sa balay ni Manong Pepito. Iya kong gidala didto sa Marahan. Pagkahuman og hatud, iya kong gipaadto sa sitio Namnam. Pagkagabii, iya kong gitawagan nga sugaton sila sa Tamugan mao to nga miadto ko ug ako silang gisakay pabalik sa sitio Namnam (We met each other in Bukidnon. He had my motorcycle fixed and in exchange, he asked that he will get my services to drive the motorcycle. We met at Manong Pepito’s house where he asked me to bring him to Marahan and then proceed to sitio Namnam. When evening came, he called me and asked me to go to Tamugan and then I brought them to sitio Namnam again)," Oracion said.

Oracion said Pardillo told him he was planning to buy a piece of land there but was baffled why they were carrying several bags when he met up with the group in Tamugan district.

But he admitted that he went with Pardillo, still on the day after the robbery, at Pepito's house where Pardillo divided the loot.

"Hapit gani nagkaunay ang ilang grupo kay gitikasan sila ni Arpat (They nearly killed each other because 'Arpat' Pardillo tried to cheat them)," Oracion said.

Oracion and Mangunay said it was Priete who shot Panganiban during the heist.

As of this posting Sunday, police are still conducting operations to arrest two more suspects, with Priete acting as guide.

The four are now at the detention cell in DCPO awaiting the filing of formal charges against them. (Alger Dura/Sun.Star SuperBalita Davao/Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)