Tuesday, November 20, 2007 Suspect in 6 robberies tells court he’s innocent
THE suspect in the Oct. 5, 2006 heists of two lending firms pleaded not guilty before Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Judge Sylva Aguirre-Paderanga.
Dindo L. Ancero told the court that he is innocent of all six separate robbery cases filed against him.
Ancero is also a suspect in the P9.4-million Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP)-Bogo heist in 2005 of which he also pleaded not guilty. RTC Judge Estela Alma Singco of branch 12 is hearing the case.
Ancero, who was represented by lawyer Salvador Solima, also withdrew his motion for reinvestigation.
Six witnesses separately identified Ancero as among those who perpetrated the robberies pulled on A-1 Micro Finance Inc. along Osmeña Blvd. and Asialink Finance Corp. a few meters away from the Cebu City Police Office headquarters.
Valuables
The robbers, who first hit A-1 Micro Finance Inc. were able to get P60,000 on top of the money and valuables taken from two of its employees.
They fled with another P187,000 and the personal items of two employees of Asialink Finance Corp.
Ancero was arrested a day after the robberies while transacting business at the Cebu Moneyline Corp. office in Mandaue City. Authorities believed that the said firm was the next target of the accused.
Also arrested was Jangen P. Fernandez but he was not charged with Ancero.
The arrest was guided by information fed by a tipster who allegedly spotted two suspicious-looking persons doing business with Cebu Moneyline Corp., where one of them matched the description of one of the robbers responsible for the twin heists.
Ancero and Fernandez disembarked after being held at gunpoint by the authorities and promptly surrendered their firearms.
