Robbery suspect killed in shootout in Makati mall

(Updated 11:58 p.m.) One of the suspected robbers who broke into a store in upscale Greenbelt 5 Mall in Makati City was killed in a shootout earlier in the day, a police official said. Southern Police District head Chief Superintendent Jaime Calungsod told reporters that one of the robbers who attempted to steal watches from the Rolex store at the ground floor of Greenbelt 5 was killed. “Isa sa mga hold-upper ang namatay (One of the robbers was killed)," he said. The robber’s body is sprawled on the floor at the store’s entrance. It was not clear how many were the suspects. Calungsod said he could not yet verify whether the robbers were able to cart away watches from the Rolex store, where the robbery occurred. “Ini-inventory pa ngayon (An inventory is still ongoing)," he told reporters. The interview was aired on dzBB radio. To read more about the attempted robbery, click here. Dindo Fernando, the corporate communications officer of Ayala Land, said that they have tightened security at the Ayala Malls. Greenbelt 5 was shutdown as police investigators and the Scene of the Crime Operatives continue to look into the incident. Normal operations of the mall resumed at about 6 p.m.
Rolex store Earlier in the day, the manager of the establishment near Rolex said she saw that about six to seven armed men wearing black Bomb Squad uniforms shattered the glass cases containing Rolex watches. “We just saw some armed men they were wearing Bomb Squad uniforms…and they started hammering the showcases. And from there, I and some customers went inside the stockroom and afterward we heard gunshots for about five minutes," Stephanie Shier said in an interview on dzBB radio. Shier is the manager of Onitsuka Tiger, a clothing store. She added that at the time of the incident, “there were two customers, one guy and one pregnant woman, and they were shoved out of the (Rolex) store." Binay blames PNP Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, meanwhile, said the Philippine National Police (PNP) is partly to blame in the incident. "This is not the first time that criminals have used police and military uniforms in their operation. But so far the proper authorities have not taken steps to restrict their sale and their use," he said. He added that the foiled robbery highlights the importance of vigilance and preparedness. "(The) brazenness of the attempted robbery is alarming. I suggest that the proper authorities should anticipate a possible surge in brazen and high-profile criminal activities because of the hard times, especially after typhoons 'Ondoy' (Ketsana) and 'Pepeng' (Parma)," Binay said. - GMANews.TV