1 of 5 suspects who stole Comelec head Garcia’s bag arrested

Police arrested one of the suspects involved in the theft of the bag of Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairperson George Garcia inside a restaurant in Pasay City last Tuesday, the Southern Police District (SPD) said. 

The suspect was identified as “Hazel”, 44-year-old woman, who was nabbed in Varangay Zapote in Las Piñas City on Wednesday afternoon through a follow-up and backtracking operation. 

The SPD said she was identified through CCTV footage. 

Authorities recovered from Garcia’s bag containing identification cards and a mobile phone. 

However, money amounting to at least P10,000 was already missing, the police said. 

The incident happened in a restaurant located along Roxas Boulevard Service Road in Barangay 10 at 12:50 p.m. last August 19. 

“While the victim was waiting for his order at the said restaurant together with other guests, six suspects arrived, posing as regular customers,” the police report said.

The police report added that Garcia’s bodyguards tried to chase the fleeing suspects but were unsuccessful.

But after reviewing the CCTV footage, the police identified three other suspects identified as “Romson,” “Alberto,” and “Jun.” The footage showed that the suspects fled onboard a vehicle. 

The suspects were previously involved in similar “salisi” incidents, the police said. 

As of writing, the SPD added that authorities are still tracking down the five other suspects while “Hazel” is now under the custody of the Pasay City Police for documentation and the filing of charges. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News