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Sunday, April 04, 2004
4 robbers pose as police team
By Minerva B. Gerodias
CEBU CITY -- Four men, one of them wearing a police uniform, robbed an Iranian national of at least P550,000 in cash, jewelry and belongings Saturday.
It's unlikely he was a real policeman, although investigators are not ruling that out, said Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau (CIIB) Chief Pablo Labra II and Theft and Robbery Section acting chief SPO4 Elvin Wenceslao.
"It would be crazy for a real policeman to wear his uniform in committing a crime," Labra said.
The four robbers introduced themselves as Guadalupe policemen when they looked for Rizza Balazade at 6 a.m. Saturday.
When the houseboy who was at the gate hesitated, one of the robbers smacked a pistol against his forehead.
Two of the four men got inside the house, locked the people inside, including Balazade, in the comfort room and forced open their drawers. They took all the cash and valuables.
SPO1 Agustin Cullano of Guadalupe police said the robbers locked Balazade, his daughter Tareh, 22, his sister-in-law Aster Likot and housemaid Flordeliz inside the comfort room on the second floor.
It was the second major robbery in the city in the past week.
Last Sunday, Optus cellular phone shop lost more than P300,000 in cash and high-end cellphones to three motorcycle-riding robbers.
In Saturday's heist, Balazade lost $100 (P5,500 at P55 to a dollar) and P10,000 cash. Aster lost P20,000 cash, $70 (P3,850), a cellular phone and assorted watches and jewelry estimated at P500,000. Terah lost wristwatches (P11,000), a digital camera and a video camera worth P60,000.
Two German guests of the Balazades who were in Ormoc City in Leyte Province might have also lost some valuables as their room was also ransacked.
Cullano said it was the second time Balazade, who owns a money-changing shop, was robbed. However, Cullano said he had no details of the first robbery that happened years ago.
Saturday's robbers left using the main gate of the village.
Francesca Village security guard Sergio Siquinio said he even saluted the robber who was in police uniform.
In a police interrogation, Siquinio said the one in uniform looked familiar. He said he may have seen the man with SPO3 Elden Miņoza of Punta Princesa when they once patrolled the village.
Miņoza was immediately brought to TRS for questioning. Miņoza said his companion was PO2 Cielo Bonite. But when Bonite was shown to the guard, he said the policeman was not among the suspects.
The guard then told police he noticed that the one in uniform has been to the village at least once, also in police uniform, for a patrol.
Wenceslao, however, said they found some inconsistencies in the guard's statement and might summon him again for further investigation.
A police line-up among the Guadalupe policemen on duty was arranged Saturday but the guard and the houseboy, Teodoro Likot, said none of them was involved.
Wenceslao said he will let the witnesses check the pictures of the 201 policemen assigned to Guadalupe.(Sun.Star Cebu)
(April 4, 2004 issue)
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