Cabbie held up in Jaro
A taxi driver said he was held up by his three passengers early morning Tuesday in Brgy. Bitoon, Jaro, Iloilo City.
Rene Basalatan, 34, San Rafael, Iloilo, driver of GDR Taxi, said the suspects flagged him down at La Paz Plaza around 3:30 a.m.
The suspects told him to bring them to Brgy. Bitoon.
As the village is just within the metro, Balasatan said he did not bother to log-in to the nearest police station.
When they were approaching the area, the victim said he heard nothing from his three passengers.
But as they reached Brgy. Bitoon bridge, one of the suspects declared holdup and poked something on his neck.
The suspects warned him against stopping the vehicle and when he attempted to use his two-way radio, the suspects also threatened to harm him.
The suspects then divested him of his earnings amounting to P2,200.
He later reported the incident to Jaro Police Station but policemen failed to arrest the suspects after a hot pursuit operation.
ROB SUSPECT ARRESTED
Meanwhile, one of the three suspects in the robbery of Lifebank Foundation Inc. in Barotac Nuevo was arrested in a follow-up operation yesterday noon at Brgy. Bolilao, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
Police identified the suspect as Dennis Betita, 25, of Brgy. Barasan, Pototan town.
Betita and his companions entered the bank at around 11:00 a.m. on Monday and carted away P110,000 cash and the five mobile phones of the employees.
Betita was identified by the bank manager in the rogue gallery of Pototan Police Station.
The suspect is the leader of a newly-formed robbery gang based in Pototan town, police said.*
