Four hold up suspects, who are allegedly responsible in robbing lending collectors and Indian nationals, were arrested by Station 1 policemen from a gasoline station in Bacolod at about 3 p.m. yesterday, Police Officer 2 Joshua Barile said.

Barile identified those arrested as Reynaldo Catito, alias “Naldo”, 48, of Purok Kabulakan 2, Brgy. Singcang Airport , Jerry Frigillana delos Reyes, 31, of Brgy. 28, and Jemar Castro, 21, of Fortunetowne Subdivision, all in Bacolod City, and Sunny Hunto Bico, 35, of Hacienda Pula Duta, Brgy. Lag-asan, Bago City and employed as a lending collector of an appliance store in Bacolod City .

The four suspects denied the accusations against them.

Barile said he and PO2 Jackson Genolos, PO1 Johnny dela Peña and the Task Force Negros Intelligence Operatives seized a .38 caliber and a .357 caliber revolvers, a belt knife and an 8-inches long bladed weapon from the suspects.

The black and red 125cc XRM motorcycles without plate numbers confiscated during the arrest are also believed to be stolen as they were using improvised keys to operate them, Barile said.

He said they had conducted a two-day surveillance on the suspects and spotted them at Araneta Street in front of the Negros Occidental High School on their motorcycles earlier yesterday. They tailed them until they reached the Shell Gasoline station at the junction of Araneta Street and Magsaysay Avenue , where the arrest was made.

He said the suspects may have also be planning to robbing the gasoline station before their arrest because two of them were seen in the act of taking out the guns tucked in their waistbands, while the other two were standing nearby, serving as “look-outs”.

Barile said they will check with the City Police Office's record section for other cases or any pending arrest warrants against the suspects.

They are also inviting other robbery hold-up victims, especially those whose motorcycles were stolen, to visit Police Station 1and identify the suspects.

As of last night, several Indian nationals, who were victims of robbery-holdups in Bacolod City , have identified the suspects, who are now detained at the lock up cell of Police Station 1.

One of them was Kumar Singh, 35, of Villa Socorro Subdivision, Bacolod , who told the DAILY STAR that his wife was victimized by the suspects twice in Brgy. Tangub last month, from whom they took at least P11,000 in cash.

Charges for illegal possession of firearms and concealment of bladed weapons are initially being readied against the suspects.*APN

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