One of seven suspects has been arrested for robbing Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chairman George Garcia in a restaurant in Pasay City.
Authorities conducted the arrest on Wednesday, August 20, alleging that it was the leader of the "salisi gang."
The Pasay City Police launched a hot pursuit operation to recover the COMELEC Chairman’s stolen items, which were taken from a restaurant in Pasay City on August 19 at around 12:50 p.m.
Operatives from the District Special Operations Unit (DSOU) of the Southern Police District (SPD), together with the District Investigation Division and the Pasay City Police Station, arrested a 44-year-old female suspect alias “Hazel” during a follow-up and backtracking operation in Zapote, Las Piñas City.
Hazel was positively identified through CCTV footage as one of those directly involved in the theft and is now in the custody of the Pasay City Police Station. She will be transferred to the National Capital Region for further investigation and the filing of appropriate charges.
The recovered items include a bag, phone, keys, documents, ATM cards, and identification cards. However, the cash that was reportedly taken during the incident was no longer there.
According to the authorities, six suspects, posing as customers in the restaurant, took the bag placed beside the victim's chair and fled the scene. Garcia’s bodyguards attempted to pursue the suspects, but the latter escaped.
Moreover, CCTV footage later helped authorities identify at least three suspects known by the aliases “Romson,” “Alberto,” and “Jun,” all residents of Bacoor, Cavite, and previously linked to similar “salisi” thefts.
Pasay City Chief of Police, Colonel Joselit De Sesto is urging the remaining suspects to surrender as follow-up operations continue relentlessly. Intelligence units have also been deployed in the area to track down those involved in criminal activities.
