Cops recover stolen vehicles of ex-envoy, actor; 2 suspects fall

The carjacked vehicles of former Ambassador Roberto Romulo and actor Derek Arthur Ramsay have been recovered in a series of police operations in Metro Manila, a report said Friday. Metro Manila police recovered Romulo's vehicle after a shootout with at least three suspected members of a carjacking ring in Quezon City at 11:30 p.m. Thursday. On the other hand, Ramsay's vehicle was recovered before dawn Friday. A report on dzBB radio said police are investigating if the carjackers of both vehicles were members of the Ivan Padilla Group.

It said that at least two of the car thieves who stole Romulo's vehicle were arrested and identified as Dale Magno and Glen del Castillo. Recovered from Romulo's Toyota Camry (ZNL-415) were documents of the former envoy and Foreign Affairs secretary, a shotgun, and a 9-mm pistol. Police said they spotted the stolen vehicle in the Filinvest 2 area in Batasan Hills in Quezon City, where the shootout occurred after the suspects fired at the cops. One of the suspects was wounded, but the dzBB report did not say who among the three was injured. Romulo's Camry was stolen Monday afternoon in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, together with the sedan of Japanese trader Koji Hasegawa. Romulo and Hasegawa’s drivers, identified as Danilo Quilong, of 9-C Urdaneta Village and Nomer De Vera, of 158 Aglipay St., Mandaluyong City, respectively, were held at gunpoint, the police said. According to police, the drivers tried to resist but when one of the robbers fired a warning shot, they promptly yielded the keys of Romulo’s Camry (ZNL-415) and Hasegawa’s Toyota Innova (ZCE-378). The two gunmen subsequently commandeered the cars and sped off with another vehicle, a Honda CRV, toward C5 Road in Makati City. Ramsay's sedan Meanwhile, a separate report by dzBB's Cecilia Villarosa said police also recovered the carjacked Volvo of actor Ramsay before dawn Friday. Metro Manila police anti-carnap unit head Superintendent Maristelo Manalo said the black Volvo, which was taken in Tagaytay City last weekend, sported a different license plate when it was recovered. But Manalo did not immediately say where the Volvo was recovered. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV