Police: La Salle heist a case of ‘holdup me’

THE robbery-extortion case involving a La Salle Green Hills (LSGH) student turned out to be a “holdup me” scheme orchestrated by the victim’s own aunt who told investigators that she came up with the plan because she needed money for a sick family member.

Case investigator SPO4 Marifer Bala of the Pasig police said that Analyn Perez confessed Monday to being behind the plot to extort P40,000 from the family of her 12-year-old nephew, a Grade 8 student of LSGH in Mandaluyong City.

Bala added that they were conducting a follow-up investigation of the case when Perez suddenly owned up to the crime because “her conscience was bothering her.”

A post made by the boy’s parent on social media quickly went viral Sunday, hours after the supposed robbery-extortion incident within the school premises following a football festival attended by students from different schools.

Bala said that at 6:45 p.m. Sunday, Perez—accompanied by the boy and his father—went to the police to report that nearly five hours earlier, she and the victim were held up by an unidentified man inside the school’s parking lot.

Perez, the police investigator added, claimed that she was picking up her nephew in her car when the man got into the back seat beside the boy, pointed a weapon at him and declared a holdup.

According to Perez, the man called up the boy’s father and demanded P100,000 from him in exchange for their release.

After some haggling, the robber agreed to lower the amount to P40,000 after the boy’s father told him that he did not have that much money.

The victim’s father later met the suspect at Tiendesitas in Pasig City where the payment was made. His son was released but Perez stayed in the car, claiming that she was forced by the robber to drive to a mall in Mandaluyong City where he alighted from the vehicle and escaped on a motorcycle.

Bala said that when she asked the victim’s father why he did not ask for help from authorities, he told her that he feared for his son’s safety. When the boy’s family finally reported the incident, they asked that it only be placed on record for future reference.

Insp. Roberto Garcia, head of the Pasig police’s investigation unit, said that Perez, a cousin of the boy’s mother, was currently detained and would be charged with robbery in relation to Republic Act 7610 or the Special protection of children against abuse, exploitation and discrimination act.

He added that a manhunt operation against the robber—identified by Perez only as Billy—had already been launched.

Garcia told the Inquirer in a phone interview that Perez said she hatched the plan because “she wanted to earn money” for a sick family member.

Following the incident, LSGH president Bro. Victor Franco assured parents that “the school [was] implementing all necessary precautions to continuously ensure the safety and security of everyone, especially the students, when they are inside the school premises.”

Franco noted that the incident occurred after players and guests of the Football Festival [held on the] LSGH grounds started to leave.

“The school officials are cooperating with law enforcement agencies in the ongoing investigation. We are thankful that our student is safe and we are in communication with his parents to help them ensure his health and wellbeing,” read Franco’s letter, a copy of which was sent to the Inquirer. -Jovic Yee