Police: Carjack ring leader arrested in Makati

Police claimed Monday to have busted a major carjacking syndicate following the arrest of its leader in a predawn operation in Makati City. Radio dzBB's Denver Trinidad reported that police intelligence units arrested Ivan Padilla at about 4 a.m. along Makati Avenue after a shootout with law enforcers. While police did not give further details on how Padilla was arrested, they said his gang had been behind at least two high-profile carjacking incidents last month. In an interview over GMA Network's Unang Hirit, National Capital Region Police Office spokesman Superintendent Rommel Miranda said Padilla was taken to a hospital to see if the suspect was wounded in the shootout that occurred. "Lumaban po siya...sinugod siya sa ospital para tignan kung may tama siya (He chose to shoot it out...he was taken to a hospital to see if he was wounded)," Miranda told host Arnold Clavio.

Only last week, police managed to recover the stolen vehicles of former Foreign Affairs Secretary Roberto Romulo and actor Derek Ramsay. Last Friday, the Metro Manila police claimed to have neutralized Padilla's gang following the arrest of two of its members and the recovery of the two vehicles. (See: Cops recover stolen vehicles of ex-envoy, actor; 2 suspects fall) Arrested were Dale Alimagno, 22; and Glenn del Castillo, 31. Recovered from them were Romulo's Toyota Camry (ZLN-415) and Ramsay's black Volvo (ZAX-887). The Toyota Camry was forcibly taken in Taguig City days earlier. The Volvo was recovered in a follow-up operation. Investigation showed that during the recovery of Romulo's Camry, Padilla managed to flee the scene. — RSJ, GMANews.TV