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Saturday, June 29, 2002
‘I refused to cooperate but they threatened me and my family’
A SECURITY guard since 1992, Joel Empiedad, 29, began working with Metrobank’s branch on Gen. Maxilom Ave. just last January. He took the 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift.
When he reported for work at 5:50 a.m. last Wednesday, fellow guard Alejandro Puza opened the door for him. Moments later, Puza was shot dead.
In his affidavit, Empiedad blamed Puza’s death and the robbery on the bank on four men identified with Loloy Faran, an ex-barangay captain and alleged leader of a robbery syndicate in Toledo City.
Empiedad knew Faran because he was a wedding sponsor.
A day after the robbery, the guard told police investigators there were four robbers, although only two entered the bank. The other two stayed outside as lookouts. He does not know their names.
Parts of the affidavit of Empiedad, who may be tapped as a state witness in the case, follow:
“These men contacted me for the first time on June 18, introducing themselves as men of my ninong Loloy Faran and intimating that they wanted me to help them enter the bank before it was time to open, so they could rob the bank.
“I refused to cooperate, but they came back to me on June 21, threatening me and my family with harm should I refuse. They left me with that warning.
“They came back on June 24, and told me they will be waiting for me in the vicinity of the bank on June 26. When I arrived at 5:50 a.m. that day, I saw them and was forced to execute their plan.
“They asked me where the other guard was and proceeded to the dressing room, where Puza was changing. Moments later, I heard gunfire.
“Shortly thereafter, they asked me to change into my uniform. That’s when I saw Puza’s body lying in a pool of blood.
“I was told to take my post near the door and instructed to allow bank employees to come in, especially those responsible for opening the vault. At this instance, I even loosened the rope around the bank manager’s parking space, so that when she arrived, she would not need to call me.
“The bank manager, Emma Salvador, arrived around 7:45 a.m.
“As instructed, I posted myself at the door to allow the employees to come in as naturally as possible.
(An investigator asked if Empiedad had any opportunity to alarm anyone on the presence of robbers.)
“There were two robbers who stayed out of sight from the door. I could not alarm the bank employees for fear that the robbers might harm me or my family. When security guard Allan Gaspe arrived, I told him not to come in as there were intruders inside holding hostage the bank manager.
“He went away and it was he who reported the incident first to the office and then to the Fuente Police Station…
“At their request, I guided a police posse to Poog, Toledo City, where they raided the house of Loloy Faran and other possible hiding places, but he was nowhere to be found.
“During the heist, the two who were inside the bank told me they will be delivering my share to our house in Poog, Toledo City, but as to how much, I do not know.
“The robbers came in without firearms. They used our firearms in the bank, which they left behind after the heist.” |
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