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Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Police collar rob suspects
By Joey P. Nacalaban and Richel V. Umel
POLICE authorities presented to local media Monday four members of the so-called "Pantasma" robbery gang allegedly responsible for the shooting of a Philippine National Police (PNP) officer in a recent holdup inside a passenger bus.
The group was also tagged by police as perpetrators on the series of holdups inside passenger jeepneys and buses plying in the city victimizing its passengers.
The arrest was a joint operation by the Regional Intelligence Office in Northern Mindanao, the PNP provincial office, and the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office.
Senior Police Officer 1 Mario Pelaez, Anti-Theft and Robbery Section chief identified the suspects as Rogelio de Guzman alias "Digoy", 26, a native of Barangay Panabol, Kinuguitan, Misamis Oriental; Modesto Armocilla, alias "Tulog", 21, Phase 1, Villa Ernesto Subdivision, Barangay Gusa, this city; Ariel Barros alias "Sunshine", 20, residing at Kasinglot, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental; and Roy Dacuyan, 40, a porter at Agora terminal.
All the suspects are members of the dreaded Batang Mindanao 29 gang.
Denied
Batang Mindanao gang leader Rogelio de Guzman admitted in an interview over dxIF Bombo Radyo that they are responsible for the robbery of a Rural Transit of Mindanao Inc. bus.
The vehicle came from Davao City to Cagayan de Oro City last December 11 at 5:45 p.m. near Gusa bus terminal.
Bus conductor Ramil Bendanillo identified one of the four suspects who took his P5,000 collection while the three others gathered money, cell phones, and other personal valuables from the passengers.
De Guzman was holding a fragmentation grenade, which he struck it at Bendanillo's forehead.
However, Dacuyan, stepfather of de Guzman, denied his participation in the group's illegal activities saying he was even the one who tipped off the police on the whereabouts of the suspects.
During the arrest, lawmen confiscated a .357 "paltik" revolver, an ice pick, one fragmentation grenade, one .38 caliber revolver, and several live bullets from the suspects.
PO3 Urciseus Lituañas positively identified all the suspects inside a room of one of the hospitals here.
Pickup
Lituañas, who was detailed at the Balingoan police precinct, pointed to de Guzman as the one who carried a grenade during the incident.
The PNP member was hospitalized after he was shot in the head during a holdup-robbery inside a Rural Transit Mindanao Inc. while the vehicle was passing along Punta Gorda, Jasaan, Misamis Oriental last December 14.
The victim was rushed to a private hospital here and is now recuperating.
Lituañas was seated at the middle when the suspects announced a holdup.
Reports said the victim reacted by drawing his service handgun tucked on his waist when one of the suspects at his back shot him.
The suspects then divested the passengers of their personal belongings including several mobile phones and cash amounted to thousands.
PNP then launched Oplan "Tikling" that was intended to chase down the suspects.
Operatives first picked up Dacuyan at Agora bus terminal who in turn accompanied the lawmen to Villa Ernesto Subdivision and arrested Armocilla.
A .38 caliber revolver was taken from him.
Lawless elements
A follow-up operation had resulted to the arrest of de Guzman and Barros. A .357 revolver and a hand grenade were recovered from their possession.
Pelaez said he is urging all the victims of robbery to visit his office to identify the suspects so that appropriate cases would be filed against them.
In an interview Baguio told media that the arrest of the suspects gave emphasis that the long arm of the law is not sleeping.
"Lawless elements in the society have no place to live for, they have to be fell in the long claws of the law," Baguio said.
Both Baguio and Mayor Vicente Emano called on other holdup victims to identify the suspects who were presented to media in a press conference at City Mayor's Office here and file appropriate charges against them.
Emano then lauded the efforts of police authorities in initially solving the robbery cases in the city while other suspects are closely monitored.
Baguio had mandated police visibility and close monitoring.
(December 20, 2005 issue)
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