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Wednesday, March 17, 2004
3 in series of armed taxi hold-ups nabbed
By Ernie N. Olson Jr.
THREE members of a notorious armed robbery gang that already has victimized several taxicab drivers in Baguio and adjoining towns were arrested in a police operation in Victoria Village early Monday morning.
This, after the gangmen mistook the policemen’s vehicle as a taxicab and tried to flag it down in what the police believed was supposed to be another hold-up attempt after robbing their latest victim barely three hours earlier.
Chief Supt. Rowland Albano, director of the Police Regional Office in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), identified the suspects as Joseph Tuguin Boocan, 32; Benny Nicolas Poychana, 20; and Reden Martin Bandao, 20. All three were single and jobless. They were from Mayoyao, Ifugao but they live in Km. 4 Asin Road.
Their latest victim was identified as Jun Doctolero Mapalo, 27, married, a taxicab driver from Tubao, La Union.
Supt. Isagani Nerez, BCPO director, said Mapalo was at Quirino Highway (formerly Naguilian Road) and on his way back to the city, when he was flagged down by the three gang men near the CIGI compound at Irisan at around 10:30 p.m.
"He obliged to take them to Nagoya Inn as directed. However, while driving on, the three poked knives and a gun at the victim and forced him to divert the taxi to ADD road at Purok 22 of Irisan," Nerez said.
While in a secluded area of the road, they allegedly divested him of his cash earnings and then left. This allowed the victim to proceed immediately to Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) Station 1, where he was met by a team from BCPO Station 9.
Two pursuing teams were then formed and took the victim with them to try to locate the suspects. After three hours, they spotted three men, who tried to flag down their vehicle at Victoria Village.
Since the three were positively identified by the victim to be the same gangmen who robbed him earlier, they were arrested," Nerez added. "Seized from Poychana’s possession was a cal. 38 revolver, while knives were also taken from both Boocan and Bandao."
All three were detained later at the Baguio City Jail on charges of robbery, illegal possession of a firearm, concealing deadly weapons and a separate violation of the gun ban.
(March 17, 2004 issue)
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