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Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Robber killed in shootout with cops in Greenbelt 5

MANILA – A suspected robber was killed Sunday morning when 11 gunmen hit a high-end watch store inside a posh shopping mall in Makati City and reportedly carted away an undetermined worth of expensive watches, reports said.

The robbery at the Rolex watch shop was however interrupted after 2 security escorts of Taguig City Mayor Sigfredo “Freddie” Tinga engaged the heavily armed robbers.

One of the bodyguards of Tinga, who was in Greenbelt 5 for a lunch meeting, was able to “neutralize” one of the heavily-armed suspects who forcibly entered a Rolex store, radio dzMM reported.

“We were having lunch just outside that time we are actually waiting for some people and we heard an exchange of gunfire not realizing na it was actually our security people who were exchanging fire with the hold-uppers,” Tinga told ANC in an interview.

Smashing windows

The Taguig City mayor said that his two escorts who were also on the second floor of the mall saw the suspects who were already at the first floor smashing the windows of the Rolex shop.

“So they chanced upon these guys. Even if they were wearing bomb squad uniforms, policemen in broad daylight don’t go around breaking down the windows of a shop… When that happened, iyon na nga, nag-react na iyong police naming. that started the fight,” said Tinga.

He said his escorts told him that the incident was noticeably irregular so his policemen reacted.

“Well they are saying: Nakita namin ito di ito regular, hold up ito. And after that nakipagputukan na,” said the city mayor.

Heavily-armed

Tinga also said that his escorts told him, the robbers were armed with high-powered firearms.

“Puro high-powered firearms. Iyong isa nilang nabaril actually had a grenade launcher, an M203. These are not just petty criminals,” said Tinga.

The suspect who was killed was wearing a black shirt with EOD (Explosive Ordinance Division) printed at the back of the shirt. According to other reports, the suspects wore police uniforms and also carried M14 and M16 automatic rifles.

The robber who was killed has not yet been identified.

A waiter was reportedly injured in the shootout but the report has yet to be confirmed.

Gunfire

ABS-CBN correspondent Ricky Carandang said he saw people running away from Greenbelt 5 after gunfire erupted inside the mall before noon.

“Gunfire was heard all over and people were running away from the general direction of the gunfire. And security here in Ayala has managed to clear that part of the mall where the gunfire happened,” said Carandang, who was in the area when the incident occurred.

Authorities temporarily closed Greenbelt 5 as Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) conducted its investigation. Media men were also barred from entering the mall.

Initial reports said that 11 suspects, one of whom was a woman, were involved in the robbery. Five of them reportedly served as lookouts on the second floor.

The robbers meanwhile after the shootout with Tinga’s escorts went to the mall’s basement parking for their escape.

A police source said the robbers were able to cart away an undetermined number of watches.

2 vehicles - a Honda Civic and a Toyota Corolla - suspected to have been used by the robbers in their getaway from the mall have reportedly been recovered by police in Lapu-Lapu street in Magallanes area. A report said police were still looking for a black Isuzu Bighorn purportedly also used in the robbers’ getaway.

Police were still conducting pursuit operations, said Makati City police chief Senior Superintendent Cedric Train.

Hammering showcases

The brazen day-time shootout at the Greenbelt 5 mall in the Makati financial district caused panicked shoppers and diners to barricade themselves inside shops and restaurants, witnesses said.

"We saw some armed men wearing uniforms similar to the ones used by police bomb squad personnel and they started hammering the showcases," said Stephanie Shier, the manager of a clothes retailer near the watch shop.

"I and some customers went inside the stockroom and afterward we heard gunshots for about five minutes," she told reporters.

Overpowered guards

An Ayala Land official told dzMM that 6 gunmen overpowered the mall guards and “forced their way in at gunpoint.”

“They were able to overpower the guards at the mall entrance … other security [guards] were able to respond immediately…. They were heavily armed and they forced their way in at gunpoint,” George Marco, head of Ayala Land’s corporate communications, said.

During the robbery, customers were told to “remain where they were at the time of the incident,” he said.

“We assure you that we have ample security at the mall. And we would like to assure customers that our malls remain safe. I guess iyong mga suspects na ito, aside from ‘yong dami nila, they were heavily armed. They have long arms,” he said.

Ayala Land also was reported to have said that its Greenbelt 5 security guards were able to immediately report to its head office which immediately verified that there the suspects were not legitimate bomb squad members and that were no schedule of a bomb squad inspection at the mall.

The mall’s management also said that it has been cooperating with police in its investigation. It said Greenbelt 5 will resume operations at 6 p.m. Other Greenbelt malls remained open during the incident.

To recommend promotion

Meanwhile Tinga said he would recommend an on-the-spot promotion to his security escorts for their “sense of duty” in immediately responding.

“They could just turn away… I am sending a recommendation for promotion. I’m going to recommend them for doing their job,” said Tinga.

The two escorts, who Tinga did not identify, were already told to report to the Taguig City police chief for debriefing after the two talked with Makati City police investigators.