Five Killed in EDSA Bus Robbery Holdup


Manila Times

FIVE people were killed when a group of armed men robbed a passenger bus Thursday morning along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue. Three of the robbers were arrested and were identified as Ryan Ibarra, 22; Jojo Baytasan, 27; and Ronnie Hernandez, 27, while three other suspects were killed during the exchange of fire with police officers. Recovered from them were three .45-caliber pistols and a 9-mm pistol.

Initial reports said the robbers numbering to six boarded a Navotas-bound JMK busline (TWK-291) on Buendia in Makati City at around 9 a.m. The robbers who were armed with handguns and grenades then declared the holdup upon reaching Boni Avenue in Mandaluyong City and started taking cash and belongings of the passengers and the earnings of the bus.

Upon reaching Cubao, one of the passengers was able to get off the bus and immediately inform the authorities about the on going robbery. Quezon City police, Sr. Supt. Magtanggol Gatdula, in a television interview aired on ANC channel said QCPD mobile group chase the suspects and was able to stop the bus near the cloverleaf area in Balintawak after firing at its tires.

The frustrated suspects then shot and killed the bus driver, initially identified as Lauro Santos of Angat, Bulacan, and a passenger identified only as a certain Veloso after the latter attempted to get off the bus while it was stalled near Balintawak. The robbers then got off the bus and were able to commandeer a red Mitsubishi Adventure (CSX 806) and took off toward the North Luzon Expressway.

The police chase continue until the suspects was forced to abandon the vehicle near a subdivision in Lawang Bato, in Valenzuela City because there were already running in flat tires. The suspect then fled toward a residential area but police was able to kill two of the suspects in the process.

The remaining robbers tried to commandeer a dump truck but authorities were able to catch up with them and killed another suspect prompting the others to give up.



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I saw this news item at 24 Oras. Patay yung 3 holdaper, at nahuli naman yung 3. Sa Ch. 2, nakunan pa yung habulan. Pero minalas yung bus driver at isang passenger.

Kudos to our law enforcers. Ubusin niyo na silang lahat!