THREE armed men riding in a motorcycle shot and robbed two Philippine Iron Construction Marine Works (Picmaw) employees who just withdrawed from a bank Thursday along Pacana-Tiano Streets, this city.
Jules Sagario, 52, was shot by one of the robbers in both legs as he shouted for help while the men, armed with caliber .45 pistol, tried to grab the bag with the money from his co-employee, Hazel Jane Dacoco, 33.
Sagario and Dacoco had just gotten out of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) along Velez Street and were about to board the company’s service vehicle at around 12 noon when the armed robbers declared a holdup.
Dacoco at first refused to give the bag but later handed it over as the robbers shot his companion.
The men then fled on board a blue XRM getaway motorcycle with P177,000 supposedly for employees’ salary, including Dacoco’s personal money amounting to P800.
The driver of the vehicle, Jake Eballe, was unharmed during the incident while Sagario was immediately brought to the hospital for treatment.
Police recovered one empty shell of caliber .45 at the crime scene.
Dacoco told investigators that she was shocked by the incident thus she could no longer recognize the faces of the suspects.
“I was too scared to get a good look at the robbers’ faces,” she said.
Police Senior Inspector Lemuel Gonda, station commander of Police Station 1, in a radio interview said he could not point a finger at the culprits and even Dacoco failed to recognize the suspects who are still at large.
He said they are now hunting down the three robbers.
Thursday’s incident is the third big robbery case this month.
Last week, two men armed with caliber .45 pistols robbed Honda Motor World Incorporated along Captain Vicente Roa-Ebarle Streets, taking with them some P137,000 cash and checks amounting to millions.
On the next day, LBC-Yacapin branch was robbed by three men armed with caliber .38 pistol and took away at least P36,000 cash and cell phones of the employees.
Police said the robbers in the two establishments both used a yellow motorcycle, although a link had yet to be established between the two incidents.