Sunday, September 14, 2008 Police arrests robbery suspect a week after Consolacion heist
THE police arrested a man suspected of being part of a gang that robbed a couple at their pharmacy and shot the husband when he tried to resist.
Endrel Puno allegedly also traded shots with a Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 7 operative last Friday when authorities went to arrest him in Barangay Upper Jagobiao, Mandaue City.
Puno was identified as one of two men who robbed Filomeno Lumapas and Gabriella Fua-Lumapas last Monday, Sept. 8, outside Bing’s Pharmacy in Consolacion town.
When Filomeno tried to take back Gabriella’s bag containing P70,000 cash, one of the robbers shot him in the chest.
Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Rolando Puno had directed the CIDG 7 to solve the case.
A joint CIDG 7 and Consolacion Police Station team was nearing a suspected safehouse in Mandaue City around 2:45 p.m. last Friday when Puno allegedly came out, drew a firearm tucked in his waistband, and pointed the gun at the approaching policemen.
Shot in foot
This led PO2 Eriberto Dacalos to fire, hitting Puno in the right foot. Puno, however, still managed to run to a thickly populated area.
Policemen led by Supt. Rex Derilo chased Puno through narrow alleys until they caught him.
Puno allegedly continued to resist, “prompting the operative to use reasonable force to restrain him.”
Police seized a .38 revolver containing five bullets from Puno, who was brought to a hospital for treatment.
At 7 p.m., Filomeno, who was already discharged from the hospital, appeared before the CIDG 7 office and identified Puno as one of those who robbed him.
Police found Puno’s trail after learning about the arrest of a man involved in another robbery in Mabolo, Cebu City last Thursday.
When Pio Tahum was arrested, he yielded stolen items and a red XRM motorcycle, which matched the description of the motorcycle used in the robbery of the Lumapas couple.
Admission
Tahum later admitted that his friends Ivy Abasolo, Danilo Naya, Endrel Puno and a certain Lino kept their stolen items in his house.
Puno also admitted involvement in the Lumapas robbery, saying he served as lookout and was instructed to intervene had the robbery not proceeded as planned.
He pointed to Abasolo as the one who shot Filomeno. (MEA)
