Off-duty policewoman foils hold-up in Valenzuela

An off-duty policewoman foiled a hold-up incident in Valenzuela City.

In a report by Emil Sumangil on "24 Oras," PO1 Mary Joyce Apada said she initially saw the suspect inside a jeepney robbing a college student.

"May napansin akong lalaki, malaki ang katawan, naka-sumbrero... hinablot niya 'yung cellphone, sabay napansin ko may nakatutok na baril," said Apada.

Apada secretly followed the suspect who walked and rode a bus. When she recorded the body markings of the bus, she immediately informed other cops. 

The suspect was later identified as Ronnel Lim. 

"Ako lang nakakaalam nung mukha ng suspek... 'di minonitor namin... along dito sa may Karuhatan, andito na 'yung mga tropa, sir... mga kasamahan ko. Sabi ko, 'Sir positive, yan yung bus na sinakyan niya," Apada said.

"Pagpasok namin, tiningnan namin kung saan... positive nga Sir, namukhaan ko 'yung tattoo nung lalaki dito sir. Tamang-tama sir nakasukbit 'yung baril sa kanya, doon na pinosasan na namin," she added.

The student who was robbed narrated the incident inside the jeepney.

"May nagtext po sa 'kin. Sinilip ko po. Pagka-silip ko po, hinablot na niya 'yung cellphone ko, tapos tinutukan na niya ako ng baril... sabi niya sa akin, 'sige!' tapos natulala na lang po ako," said the victim, who was not identified.

The victim's phone was no longer recovered while some other mobile phones and a toy gun were seized from the suspect.

Lim will be facing robbery charges as well as frustrated homicide.

"Based sa initial investigation na kinonduct natin kanina, may mga previous cases na ito. In fact nakulong na ito sa Caloocan noong 2013. At nakalaya lang sometime 2014. So ang kaso niya robbery din saka illegal possession of firearms," said Senior Supt. Ronaldo Mendoza, chief of Valenzuela police.

Meanwhile, Apada and other cops who responded to the incident would be rewarded, the report said.

"Judgement call ng trabaho namin, OK lang sir... kaya naman kasi nagta-taekwondo rin kasi ako," Apada said. —Anna Felicia Bajo/JST, GMA News