By ALEXANDRIA SAN JUAN
A taxi driver employed by PBA player Douglas Kramer and his cohort were arrested by police after they allegedly robbed a businesswoman’s house in Quezon City.
Quezon City Police District Deputy Director for Administration Senior Superintendent Ronaldo Ylagan identified the suspects as taxi driver Eddie Valiente, 48, who has a pending arrest warrant for theft; and his companion Ronald Calderon, 47.
The two men were tagged as suspects in the robbery at the house of a businesswoman, who asked for anonymity, in Barangay Veterans Village, Quezon City, last Sunday.
According to the complainant, she and her family were inside the house at about 12:30 p.m. when a man, only identified by the arrested suspects as Vic, knocked at their door, looking for a certain “Arjay.”
When they opened the door, Vic and the two other suspects, who were all armed with handguns, immediately barged in and declared the heist.
The group took away several valuables of the family such as rubber shoes, mobile phones, 32” LED television, cash worth R35,000, all amounting to at least R500,000, police said.
The victim said that right after the heist, they were instructed to lock themselves inside the comfort room while they escape using a Toyota Vios taxi with plate number WQL392.
Fifteen minutes later, the victim got out and sought assistance from authorities.
Through a footage of a nearby closed circuit television camera, the QCPD Masambong Police Station (PS-2) traced the getaway vehicle of the suspect. A verification with the Land Transportation Office showed that the taxicab was registered under basketball player Douglas Kramer.
Operatives conducted a follow-up operation the following day as Kramer identified Valliente as his driver.
Senior Inspector Wennie Cale of PS-2 said that Valliente asked his employer for a leave and promised to return to work on Thursday.
Kramer gave the whereabouts of his driver that led to the arrest of Valliente and Calderon at their residence in Pasig City.
Recovered from the suspects were the taxi, a .38-caliber revolver, a mobile phone, the LED television, and a laptop bag.
The suspects said they had already sold some of the loot in San Juan and used the money for shopping.
Kramer said he does not know that his driver, who was just hired five months ago, was into illegal activities, adding that Valliente even submitted to him a police clearance from Cainta, Rizal.
Further investigation showed that Valliente was also jailed for qualified theft in Valenzuela City in 2015 and 2016.
Cale also said that Valliente has a pending arrest warrant for theft in Valenzuela City. (Alexandria San Juan)
