Another delivery truck hijacked
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Authorities are alarmed over the series of hijacking incidents of delivery trucks in the province with recent incident along MacArthur Highway in Barangay San Agustin.
A report from the Pampanga Police Provincial Office (PPPO) stated that an Isuzu aluminum closed van driven by one Russel Brian Barrientos, 26, a resident of Masinloc, Zambales loaded with Nestle products worth about P100,000 was hijacked by armed men.
The truck owned by Optimize Customer Solution Inc., was on the highway when blocked by the unidentified gunmen and at gunpoint announced the heist, the report said.
Police said the suspects demanded from the driver his license and then ordered him and his helper identified as Ariel Robate, 20, to alight from their truck.
The victims were reportedly blindfolded with packaging tape and later dumped in front of the TIPCO Paper Mills in Mabalacat town.
The incident was immediately reported to the Mabalacat Police Station by the victims who were assisted by residents there.
A follow-up police operation led to the recovery of the hijacked delivery truck along the national highway in Barangay San Pedro, Bustos, Bulacan.
But the truck was already emptied of its cargo.
Police records showed that several incidents of hijacking occurred the past two weeks, usually in the towns of Bacolor, Lubao, Guagua and Mabalacat.
Reports noted the hijackers were often guised as policemen, complete with uniforms and firearms. (Ric Sapnu)