Saturday, July 02, 2005
P2M payroll snatched by robbers
CEBU CITY -- Three employees of a shipping firm lost P2 million in payroll to three armed robbers while stopping for a red light in Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City past 2 p.m. Friday.
But the Casuntingan police are still verifying the claim because the three employees, including the company owner's son, refused to talk with them when they reached the place to investigate.
Initial investigation showed that the car was driven by the owner's son, who was with a cashier and an apprentice. The three had just withdrawn the money from a bank.
The robbers reportedly blocked the firm's red Toyota Corolla at the corner of H. Cortes and A.S Fortuna Sts. when the car stopped for a red light.
Two of the three robbers got off the motorcycle and signaled the three people in the car to open the front doors. When they did, the robbers took the bag placed beside the driver's seat.
No shot was fired and the robbery took less than three minutes. The robbers then drove their motorcycle towards Cebu City.
The police were baffled, though, because when the responding team arrived at the scene shortly after learning of the robbery, the three victims chose to stay inside the car.
They allegedly refused to give the police details of how the robbery happened and the description of the three culprits.
"Mas mayo pang mga tulisan kay giablihan nila sa awto, kaming mga police wala gyod (They opened their door to the robbers, but not to the policemen)," said theft investigator PO3 Jun Mondejar.
Mondejar said while they were signaling to the three people in the car to open their door and talk with them, the driver instead drove the vehicle towards Barangay Talamban.
The company has an office in Talamban.
The policeman said it was only when a trustee of the firm's owner, Perfecto Delos Reyes, came to the police station that they learned of the identities of the three people bringing in the money.
According to Mondejar, delos Reyes said the money was withdrawn from Metrobank branch on M.C. Briones Highway by Christopher Yu, son of the owner of Premier Company; Leslie Simon, a cashier; and Antonio Gallaga, an apprentice.
Delos Reyes said Yu was driving the car while Simon sat beside him holding the bag containing the money. (AIV of Sun.Star Cebu/Sunnex)
Click here for a chronology of the crisis.
Click here for the transcript of Arroyo's confession.
(July 2, 2005 issue)
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