Couple loses P200,000 cash to robbers

A COUPLE lost about P200,000 cash to three unidentified robbers Monday evening at Locsin-Luzuriaga Streets, Bacolod City.

Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) spokesperson Santiago Rapiz identified the victims as Mario Degumon, 42, and his wife Girlie, 40, both residents of Luzuriaga Street, Barangay 29, Bacolod City.

Rapiz said that around 8:30 p.m., while the victims were inside the Suzuki multicab parked in front of Oriental Café at Locsin-Luzuriaga Streets, one of the suspects approached Mario, pointed a gun at him and pulled the trigger thrice.

Fortunately, the bullets did not go off.

Rapiz said Mario immediately alighted from the multicab to ask for help but no one responded in the area.

He said that when Mario was about to go back inside the vehicle, one of the suspects drove the multicab with Mario’s wife inside the vehicle.

One of the suspects alighted from the multicab along Barangay 35, Bacolod City while the remaining two suspects brought the woman to Barangay Cabug.

Rapiz said one of the suspects told Girlie to relax because they want only the money. The suspects then abandoned the woman and the vehicle at Sitio Kawayanan, Barangay Cabug, Bacolod City.

Police recovered from the multicab 20 live ammunition of 9mm pistol and an extended magazine owned by the suspects.

Rapiz said the couple has a stall inside the Central Market and sells plastics and some ornaments.

The police believed that the victims were already monitored by the suspects.

“It’s well-planned to hold up the couple,” Rapiz said.

He said they already have identified the suspects, who were seen in the area before the incident.

The suspects were also positively identified by the victims based on the pictures presented to them, Rapiz said, citing the robbers were involved in a series of robbery hold up incidents in Bacolod City.

He refused to give the names of the suspects since the operation is still ongoing, adding that BCPO officer-in-charge Senior Superintendent Edgardo Ordaniel has ordered all station commanders to intensify their visibility patrol within their area of responsibility to pre-empt such incident.