Cops, Army hunt down suspect in NorCot highway robbery
Local News • 18:21 PM Thu Aug 2, 2018
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By:
Edwin O. Fernandez
Members of PNP Regional Mobile Force Battalion conduct checkpoint in POblacion Pikit following Wednesday's highway robbery. (Courtesy of RMFB Lcoator)
PIKIT, North Cotabato – Police backed by military personnel here are hunting down one of two men who
robbed and killed a cigarette merchant along the national highway Wednesday afternoon.
Supt. Bernard
Tayong, speaking for police authorities in North Cotabato, said the Pikit
police office had already in possession vital information about the identities of
the other suspect who managed to escape after his companion was shot dead by
responding police officers.
The robbery hold-up
occurred at about 1 p.m. when two men on motorbike flagged down a delivery
truck loaded with cigarettes.
One of the two
suspects fired at Armando Dumanjog Lu, 63, salesman of SUL Corporation and
resident of Midsayap, North Cotabato. Lu died on the spot.
Injured were driver
Garry Ramos, 32 and delivery truck helper Rolando Dadivas, 36, both of
Midsayap, North Cotabato. Both are now in Midsayap Community hospital.
According to
Supt. Tayong, the three were traveling to Cotabato City from Davao City and
were flagged down by the suspects who were armed with cal. 45 pistols.
Without
provocation, the gunmen opened fire toward the delivery truck.
But members of
the Pikit police office conducting patrol near the crime scene immediately responded
and chased the suspects who fled on motorbike.
One of the
gunmen, Jimboy Arestoteles, was killed while his companion made good his
escape. Tayong said the suspects failed to take the cash collections of the
victims.