BAGUIO CITY – Three notorious robbery holduppers, including a policeman, were arrested by alert elements of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) during a 1-hour hot pursuit operation after they allegedly robbed a gold buying station along Upper Magsaysay Avenue here Wednesday morning.
Senior Superintendent George D. Daskeo, BCPO officer-in-charge, identified the arrested suspected holduppers as PO2 Reynaldo Pilapil Daming, Jr., who is currently assigned with the Aviation Security Group (ASG) of the PNP in Pasay City, Michael Kahipo Catugna, and Efren Diallia Sidastantes, Jr..
Initial police investigation showed the suspects entered the Gina Trading Gold and Buying Station owned and operated by Gina Captura Estole, 33, businesswoman and resident of No. 065C Lower Pinget, Baguio City who was with her labourer Jacquelyn Delfin Rosado, 53 and a resident of Ampucao, Itogon, Benguet and immediately poked a gun to the victims and eventually took the raw gold amounting to P200,000, cash amounting to P70,300 and one Samsung cellphone.
The incident was immediately reported to the police operatives who conducted a hot pursuit operation against the suspects on board a blue Nissan van bearing license plate number AJA-597 until they were collared at Gate 2 of Camp John Hay.
Recovered from the possession of the suspects were the items which were taken from the victims and a Glock 17 .9mm specifically from PO2 Daming.
The suspects are now temporarily detained at the BCPO headquarters awaiting the resolution of the inquest prosecutor on the cases that will be filed against them.
By Dexter A. See