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Friday, October 03, 2003
Man nabbed for frustrated murder is 1 of 7 Lepanto robbers - cops
A 36-YEAR-old man arrested for frustrated murder was slapped additional charges of robbery-in-band and multiple murder after witnesses reportedly identified him as one of the seven robbers who killed five Lepanto employees and carted away a P12-million gold bar last month.
Senior Supt. Eugene Martin, chief of the Cordillera PNP directorial staff, Thursday named the suspect as Joseph Bolse Coop, married, and a native of Tadian, Mt. Province.
"It's just like shooting two birds with one stone. The police did not expect that they were also arresting one of the seven suspects in the Lepanto rob-slay when they served a warrant of arrest for frustrated murder to Coop," Martin stressed.
Coop was apprehended by combined elements of the Benguet and Mt. Province Police as well as the 1604th Police Mobile Group and Mankayan Municipal Station in Ampontoc, Colalo, Mankayan nine days after the Lepanto incident.
Police said the suspect, who walks with a limp, was later identified by witnesses as one of those
responsible for the robbery of a 21.86-kilo gold bar, two baby armalites and the killing of a Lepanto mine engineer and four company guards last Sept. 20.
Coop is now detained at the provincial jail. Additional charges were already filed against him at
the Provincial Prosecutor's Office in La Trinidad, Benguet.
Flor Fajilan, personnel manager of the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company, meanwhile, expressed optimism that Coop's arrest would eventually lead to the apprehension of the remaining robbers and the recovery of the gold bar.
The company earlier offered a P100,000 reward to anybody who could help authorities solve the crime.
"We're still on a red alert level here in Lepanto. But we're hoping that with his arrest, the other suspects will eventually be known and arrested and the gold bar recovered," Fajilan said Thursday.
Martin said police continue their hot pursuit operations against the remaining robbers and have
called on witnesses to come out in the open to help solve the daring rob-slay.
Benguet Gov. Raul Molintas has already called on prospective gold buyers to first coordinate with the police before closing deals to ensure the gold they are buying is not the same as the one stolen from Lepanto Mines.
He explained the robbers might be planning to dispose of the stolen metal and that buyers should be vigilant not to fall prey to this scheme.
Fajilan said buyers normally know the 'signature' of various gold bars. "Unless tinunaw uli, alam naman ng mga gold buyer kung saang company galing yong gold bar." Cheryl G. Cruz
(October 3, 2003 issue)
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