A taxi driver was robbed by two unidentified men who pretended to be his passengers on Bugnay Street, along C.L. Motelibano Avenue, Barangay Villamonte, Bacolod City on Tuesday night.
Chief Inspector Ritchie Gohee, head of Police Station 4, said the suspects flagged down the taxi driven by Arnel Lape, 49, of Barangay 26, at the Provincial Capitol Lagoon at 7:30 p.m.
The passenger-suspects told Lape to bring them to La Salle Avenue, and when they reached the area, they threatened him at gunpoint.
The suspects took the victim’s collection amounting to P3,000 along with his vehicle. Lape was unharmed.
A hot pursuit operation was conducted, and Lape’s vehicle was recovered in Eroreco Subdivision around midnight.
Gohee said they already have persons of interest after Lape identified one of them as Johnnie Villarete III, 31, of Purok Riverside, Barangay Bata. Villarete's companion remains unidentified.
Villarete was previously arrested for other robbery hold-up cases in Bacolod and the neighboring Silay City, but was able to post bail.
Gohee said robbery hold-up charges will be filed against the two suspects.