4 nabbed at Angeles checkpoint

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — Four individuals were arrested Sunday after Angeles City Police thwarted a possible robbery during a checkpoint operation along McArthur Highway in Barangay Sto. Domingo, Angeles City.

The Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) said in its latest report that the incident occurred around 2 p.m. when officers at an anti-criminality checkpoint flagged down two motorcycles. The riders attempted to evade the authorities, but were quickly intercepted and arrested.

During the arrest, one suspect falsely claimed to be a police officer and was found to be carrying an unlicensed Glock pistol and a handheld grenade. Another suspect had an unlicensed caliber .380 firearm.

Authorities are investigating whether the group is linked to a robbery-holdup gang operating in the area.

Further intensifying the incident, one suspect attempted to bribe the arresting officers but was rejected and now faces an additional charge of Corruption of a Public Official.

The suspects, along with the confiscated firearms, explosives, and cash, have been turned over to Police Station 1, Angeles City Police Office, for documentation and the filing of appropriate criminal charges.

PRO3 Regional Director PBGEN Ponce Rogelio I. Peñones Jr. commended the Angeles City Police for their vigilance and professionalism, noting that their proactive checkpoint operations thwarted a potential robbery and safeguarded the community.

He reaffirmed the police force’s commitment to combating lawlessness in line with the PNP’s 7-Point Agenda and Enhanced Managing Police Operations. “Our communities can be assured that the police will remain proactive and uncompromising in the fight against lawlessness.”

The suspects are now facing charges for violating RA 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act), RA 9516 (Illegal Possession of Explosives), as well as Usurpation of Authority and Corruption of a Public Official.