COTABATO CITY – Policemen are tracking down the remaining suspect in the highway robbery that led to the death of a cigarette salesman in Pikit, North Cotabato on Wednesday.
One of the two suspects was killed in a shootout with responding authorities during the incident.
Supt. Bernard Tayong, North Cotabato provincial police spokesperson, said the Pikit police office has obtained new information on the identity of the other suspect, who managed to escape after the shootout.
The robbery hold-up incident occurred at about 1 p.m. when two men on a motorbike overtook and ordered a delivery truck loaded with cigarettes to a stop along the section of the highway in Barangay Takepan. As the truck was slowing down, the suspects fired at the truck occupants, killing on the spot Armando Dumanjog Lu, 63, a salesman of SUL Corporation and a resident of Midsayap, North Cotabato.
Injured by the hail of bullets were truck driver Garry Ramos, 32 and delivery truck helper Rolando Dadivas, 36, also both of Midsayap town.
“The victims were traveling to Cotabato City from Davao City and were flagged down by the suspects who were armed with cal. 45 pistols,” Tayong said.
Members of the Pikit police force onboard a patrol vehicle conducting routine rounds nearby heard the shots and immediately responded to the scene, leading to a shootout.
Suspect Jimboy Arestoteles was killed while his companion escaped onboard the motorbike. Tayong said the suspects failed to take the cash collections of the victims. (Edwin Fernandez/PNA)
