Police launch manhunt for six robbers in Iloilo

A manhunt for six men who held up a bus has been launched by the police in Anilao, Iloilo on Tuesday night. Four of the men posed as passengers before declaring the holdup onboard the Ceres Liner bus (KVF-220) as it passed along Dangula-an village, an Iloilo-based news site The News Today said. Robbers flagged down the bus, which plied the Estancia-Iloilo City route, while cruising along Sitio Bugtong Bato in Culasi village in Ajuy town, police said. One of them took a seat near the door, another settled near the driver’s side while the remaining two sat at the back, Officer-on-case PO1 Rodolfo Prudente said. Upon reaching Dangula-an village at around 7 p.m., the four alighted from the bus but returned seconds later wearing bonnets, and declared a hold-up. The man near the driver then pulled a gun and poked it on driver Allan de la Cruz. The two pulled their weapons and started to take valuables from the 29 passengers, amounting to P61,000. Nine mobile phones were also taken from passengers. A separate $1,500 in cash has also been taken from Jet Lagradante of Banate, Iloilo. Bus conductor Marlon Lampa was then ordered to leave the vehicle. The passengers were not harmed. After the heist, the robbers boarded two motorcycles driven by their two companions. Investigators claimed the robbers have already been identified but refused to name them. - RJAB Jr./JV, GMANews.TV