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Saturday, December 27, 2003
Probe on slay dismays mayor
By Mia E. Abellana
CEBU -- Disappointed with the way her local policemen have handled investigations, Toledo City Mayor Arlene Zambo is seeking help from other investigating agencies to hunt down two men who robbed and shot the city treasurer and driver last Tuesday.
Two armed men on a motorcycle robbed Eleuteria Alvez of $600 and P40,000 as she was about to disembark from a vehicle driven by Rodolfo Ferolino.
The $600 was Alvez's personal money while the P40,000 was the amount she collected from her staff members to pay off debts they incurred for their Christmas party.
Ferolino was declared dead on arrival at the Perpetual Succour Hospital in Cebu City after suffering several gunshot wounds in his neck, back and stomach.
Alvez was wounded in her leg but is out of harm's way.
The vehicle had just stopped in front of Alvez's house on Peņalosa St. to let her off around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday when the two men approached and grabbed the red bag she was carrying.
Zambo believes the men were not from Toledo City but had contacts there because they knew Alvez was carrying a huge amount of money.
She told Sun.Star that she did not like the way her local police force acted on the case because the first to respond from the Toledo City Police Station allegedly arrived about an hour late.
"Their station is very near. And the chief of police was not even there when it happened. He was in Cebu (City). I made him report to me immediately," Zambo said.
Toledo City Police Chief Ricardo Tarroza could not be reached for comment when Sun.Star called the station because he was following up the case.
Zambo is planning to ask either the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 7 or the National Bureau of Investigation 7 to handle the job.
"We cannot rely on our local police. They are helpless. Murag hinay sila. Basin nagkuwang lang gyud," she said. (They seem to be slow. Maybe there were just some lapses.)
Zambo said she was surprised why the robbers shot Alvez because the woman did not even attempt to resist when they pointed their firearms at her.
SPO2 Castro Entoma, who conducted the scene of the crime operation, recovered five empty shells of a .380 pistol.
Zambo said Alvez, along with Guadalupe Solion and Joy Normandia, was working overtime so they could release the salary of City Hall employees early.
Ferolino, who was on leave but was at City Hall to claim his salary, offered to drive Alvez and her companions home using a city-owned vehicle.
Alvez said she can easily recognize the men if she sees them again.
(December 27, 2003 issue)
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