Pasay hotel robbery suspect identified
The Pasay City police yesterday identified a former security guard as one of the four suspects who carted away around 14 million in cash and valuables in the daring robbery at the Mabuhay Manor Hotel last January 2.
Senior Superintendent Dionisio Bartolome, Pasay City police chief, identified the suspect as Daniel Constantino, who also goes by his aliases Dave, Anthony Herrera and Tonee, 31, a native of Iloilo City.
The Pasay City police, however, did not reveal the establishment where Constantino used to worked as a security officer.
Aside from Constantino, Bartolome said eight other persons of interests are being investigated by the police.
According to Bartolome, Constantino was the lone suspect who did not wear a face mask during the attack at the hotel.
Bartolome said Constantino has no previous criminal record in Pasay City except in one instance where he was tagged in the carnapping of a motorcycle sometime in 2013.
No case, however, was file against him after the motorcycle was recovered by the victim.
It was learned that Constantino was part of the Tir Tir Gang and Ilongo Group involved in robbery cases.
The Pasay police chief also bared that they received accounts from witnesses that Constantino had been spotted near the Mabuhay Manor Hotel in early December.
“Nakikita na raw siya doon kasi noong pinakalat ‘yung video, may mga nagsabi na nakikita na raw siya doon. We isolated these people, and then we crossed checked it with the victims like the auditor and the security guard,” he said.
The Pasay police yesterday filed the robbery in band charge against Constantino and three John Does before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office.
Bartolome said that Constantino looked like an expert in carrying out the robbery operations based on the footages at the hotel that they reviewed.
However, since he was the one who had no face mask, there’s also a possibility he is a neophyte member of the group.
“Parang may pagkasanay na siya, aggressive ang galaw niya. Historically, where there are gangs, sometimes it could be a dare among the group to bare your face and usually kung sino ang walang face mask, ang tendency is that they have the bigger share in the loot. It is just indicative but it’s not really the full proof,” Bartolome said.
In one CCTV footage, Constantino was seen dragging the hotel auditor and night team leader, 48-year-old Rudy de Guzman, as he was frantically searching for the vault.
At one point, Constantino even slammed the head of De Guzman into the wall, possibly out of frustration, because the auditor refused to tell them where the vaults were.
Since Constantino was once a security guard and he once lived near the hotel, Bartolome said that the possible motive behind the incident remains inside job. “Iyon pa rin talaga, walang iba.” “Hindi lang ‘yung gwardya ng Manor ang iniimbestigahan, it could be connected sa family ng hotel guests kasi may possibility rin dahil bakit alam nila na check out ng 3 a.m. Paano nila nalaman o baka may nag-timbre?” he said.