A ROBBERY occurred in Cebu City yesterday afternoon while the new acting Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) director was at the formal turnover that began his first day in office.
Two armed men robbed Yusay Credit and Finance Corp. on Gorordo Ave., some three blocks away from the CCPO in Camp Sotero Cabahug, and ran away with P50,000 cash.
The first major robbery in Cebu City for the year, it immediately challenged the leadership of Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comenda-dor, who took over as acting CCPO director.
He replaced Supt. Melvin Gayotin, who held the position for more than two years. (See separate story, A1)
The heist was pulled at 3 p.m. yesterday and coincided with the turnover ceremony at the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 on Osmeña Blvd.
Four hours later, one suspect was caught.
Comendador rushed to the crime scene after the ceremony and led his men, including Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau Chief Pablo Labra II and officials from the Theft and Robbery Section.
No camera
The lending firm has a security guard, but no surveillance camera.
All six employees and security guard Wilfredo Punay of Blue Eye Security and Investigation Agency identified the two robbers through the TRS Rogues’ Gallery, a file of pictures of suspected criminals.
They pointed to Doroteo Imperial and Ronilo Nuñez, whom police earlier tagged as having come from the Danny Limotan and Rey Torres robbery gang.
The robbers did not bother to put on masks. They barged inside the lending firm and immediately announced the holdup.
They ordered all employees, including branch manager Arthur Apor, to kneel and hand over the cash.
Perlito Siapoc, the firm’s credit investigator and appraiser, tried to resist but thought better of it when one of the robbers cocked his handgun.
Imperial and Nuñez also cut off the telephone lines before leaving the area on a blue Honda Wave with no plate number.
10 minutes
The heist took less than 10 minutes, TRS Deputy Chief Michael Anthony Bastes told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday.
Siapoc reportedly tried to run after the robbers using his motorcycle, but lost sight of them.
Siapoc immediately proceeded to the CCPO headquarters, which is some three blocks away from the lending firm. The lending firm is about 30 meters away from the office of the Social Security System (SSS).
At 7 last night, Bastes’ team arrested Nuñez in his house in Barangay Maslog, Danao City.
Bastes told Sun.Star Cebu last night that Nuñez locked himself inside his house.
Police talked to Nuñez’s older brother to convince his brother to peacefully give himself up, to which the latter agreed.
Bastes said, however, that Nuñez denied any involvement in the robbery. He said he stayed in Maslog the whole day.
Police line
Bastes said they will present Nuñez to the victims and witnesses for verification.
Bastes and Labra learned from the security guard that Nuñez—or a man who resembled him—approached the firm at 10 a.m., pretending to ask if the establishment has a photocopying machine.
He immediately walked away when told there was none.
Labra said Nuñez was arrested last July 2005 for allegedly participating in the Alco Credit and Foreign Exchange Inc. (Ace Investments).
Nuñez is out on bail after paying the P100,000 bond. (JST)
