Mall of Asia robbery suspect caught on CCTV

Authorities have released a closed-circuit television (CCTV) image of one of the suspected robbers who smashed open jewelry display cases at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) last Sunday.

According to a report on GMA News TV's News To Go on Tuesday, a CCTV footage showed one of the suspects entering the mall wearing black pants, white polo with a blue design.

The report said the suspect caught on camera was one of the robbers who fired a gunshot.

Police was quoted in the report as saying the suspect, who was able to escape, may have been injured as they have recovered his clothing, which was soaked in blood and has two gunshot holes.

Authorities are searching some hospitals in case the suspect will turn up for medical treatment, the same television report added.

Meanwhile, the report said other suspects were caught on camera, although police have yet to release the footage.
 

On Sunday night, suspected members of the Martilyo Gang robbed two jewelry stalls near the entrance of the mall's south wing.

The so-called Martilyo Gang earned the moniker for using hammers to smash open jewelry display cases when robbing mall department stores. The group has repeatedly hit jewelry stores in SM malls.

The Mall of Asia robbers used pipe wrenches instead of hammers to open two display cases on Sunday night. 

However, Police Senior Superintendent Carmelo Valmoria, National Capital Region Police Office director, said the robbers may have been copycats.

"Currently, our investigation is ongoing. We cannot identify yet if these [robbers] were members of Martilyo Gang or just copycats," he said.

This is the fourth time that alleged Martilyo Gang members have robbed a jewelry store at an SM mall.

The group first attacked at SM Bicutan in November 2010. The group smashed open display cases, took the jewelry and threw a hand grenade as they left. 

They attacked anew three years later, using crowbars and hammers at the department store of SM Megamall.

Last December, the group struck again, hitting another jewelry counter at SM North Edsa. — Amanda Fernandez/RSJ, GMA News