ROBBERS HIT 2 CONVENIENCE STORES IN BULACAN

BY KEVIN GALANG

ROBBERS on Sunday night attacked two branched of Alfamart convenience store in the towns of Guiguinto and Meycauayan in Bulacan.

In a report submitted to Police Regional Office 3 director Brig. Gen. Ponce Rogelio Peñones Jr., the Bulacan police said the first burglary took place around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday in Bgy. Tiaong, Guiguinto.

Two unidentified armed men wearing helmets and face masks entered the store pretending to be customers. 

Once inside, the suspects ordered store crew members, John Albert Callustania, 22, and Jocel Ebasco, 29, to proceed to the stockroom and open the safe vault.

The suspects carted away about P100,000 in cash sales, two cellphones, and a wallet containing P800 and assorted IDs belonging to Ebasco. 

Before fleeing, the suspects tied the victims’ hands.

Less than an hour later, another Alfamart store was robbed in Bgy. Bagbaguin, Meycauayan City. The incident was only reported to the police at about 1:15 a.m. on November 3.

Victims Romel Millora, 24, and Niel John Loez, 25, both store crew members told police that a lone suspect wearing a red hoodie jacket, tube mask, gray shorts, and slippers, and riding a black scooter entered the store, pulled out an unknown firearm and declared a holdup.

The suspect fled after taking an undisclosed amount of money from the cash register.

Probers from both police stations are conducting follow-up operations to identify and arrest the suspects.

A coordination with nearby establishments and CCTV footage retrieval are underway to aid in the investigation.

Authorities are also looking into the possibility that the two robberies may have been carried out by the same group or individuals, given the similarities in the mode of operation and the choice of target establishments.