THE Philippine National Police (PNP) revealed on Wednesday that Capt. Ronnie Sarto, the Caloocan City police official killed after allegedly robbing a convenience store in Bulacan, was reportedly involved in a series of similar robberies in the province between January and April of this year.
Bulacan police chief Col. Angel Garcillano stated in a press briefing that Sarto, who was the assistant chief of the Caloocan City Police Station’s investigation and detective management section, had allegedly targeted coffee shops, gasoline stations, and convenience stores in Marilao, San Jose del Monte, and Meycauayan.
“There are similar activities involving the same person,” Garcillano said. “Those activities were already recorded from January to April this year.” He added that police caught Sarto while he was allegedly scouting for another store to rob.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) spokesperson Maj. Hazel Asilo identified Sarto as the suspect and noted that he was a resident of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.
Asilo suggested that financial difficulties may have driven Sarto to commit the robberies. “Based on our investigation, they had a previous business that got bankrupt during the time of the pandemic. That’s the possible reason he had financial difficulties,” she said. “Based on our checks, he has already maxed out his loans.” She also mentioned that Sarto and his wife had previously owned a food business and a clothing business.
Despite these alleged prior incidents, Asilo confirmed that Sarto did not have any prior derogatory records with the NCRPO before the robbery on Monday night.
Garcillano also addressed claims circulating on social media that the incident was a case of mistaken identity, firmly denying those allegations. He stated that the convenience store employees positively identified Sarto as the robber, and the motorcycle used as the getaway vehicle was registered in his name. The stolen P20,000 was also recovered from the motorcycle, according to police reports.
The PNP is continuing its investigation into the full extent of Sarto’s alleged involvement in the robberies.
