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Tuesday, July 23, 2002
Police stress need to get escort during money transport
By Oscar C. Pineda
WHEN will banks and private firms learn to use armored vans or request police escort when transporting huge amounts of money?
Despite two major robberies in the past year and several reminders from authorities, some of these institutions continue to ignore police advice.
SPO4 Felipe Honoridez of the Theft and Robbery Section noted the absence of police escort and an armored van in the China Bank robbery at SM City Mall yesterday that left one bank security guard dead and two bystanders wounded.
Honoridez said Cebu City Police Office Director Josephus Angan had already stressed the importance of security following the White Gold robbery last April 9, where robbers carted away P2 million, and the P4-million Land Bank robbery last October.
Police Regional Office 7 Director Avelino Razon, in a May 13 memorandum, advised police to be prepared to provide escorts upon request and if necessary.
Razon had directed his provincial and city directors to identify private firms that transport and collect huge sums in their area of responsibility.
He also ordered his officials to provide visibility patrols along the routes, from origin to destination.
Razon said local government units, especially the treasurer’s office, should adopt similar security measures when transporting money.
His memorandum also ordered police officials to urge bank managers to inform them of any large cash withdrawals “…so proper arrangement for providing police escort could be made.”
It also urged field officials to intensify intelligence information on robbery groups and exert all efforts to neutralize them.
China Bank security guards Erwin Berangel and Lito Mińoza (of Pioneer Security Agency) were escorting bank cashier Sherlyn Yu around 9:20 a.m.
They were on their way to distribute “loose change,” amounting to P150,000, to clients when six men shot at them at the mall’s parking lot.
Berangel was hit and so were two bystanders. Berangel later died on the way to hospital.
“Even though they were only carrying `loose change,’ they should have requested police escort. Anyway, we wouldn’t have turned them down,” Honoridez said.
Pioneer supervisor Eugenio Ponla said the bank, not them, decides whether it is necessary to use armored vans or request police escort. |
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