Saturday, July 01, 2006
P1.2 million grabbed from courier
By Mia E. Abellana
CEBU CITY -- The lull in big-time robberies in Cebu City came to a halt when three men ran off with P1.2 million cash in Philippine currency from a moneychanging shop in an uptown mall Friday noon.
Wilson Sabellano, 26, a messenger for Nikko Cebu Moneychanger, had just withdrawn the cash from the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) branch in Fuente Osmeña.
He had just positioned his motorcycle at the parking lot of Mango Square Mall at the corner of Gen. Maxilom Ave. and Juana Osmeña St. when a man armed with a .45 pistol approached him and poked a .45 pistol at him.
The mall is less than 500 meters away from the Fuente Police Station.
“Bay, way lihok. Ambi nang bag (Don’t move. Give me the bag),” the man said, referring to Sabellano’s Jansport knapsack containing the cash.
Sabellano told reporters he was unable to move out of shock. The man had to struggle with him.
Because it took awhile, the man fired the gun twice near his ear.
With one strong pull, the man grabbed the bag and ran to a waiting motorcycle where two of his companions were waiting.
None of them wore masks but covered their faces with baseball caps pulled down.
Sabellano lost his balance and fell down.
He did not notice in which direction the three men escaped. He immediately ran inside the mall to look for a guard and report the incident.
Daniel Rabaya, who manned the ticket counter of the mall’s parking area, said the three men on a blue motorcycle fled towards Juana Osmeña St.
Rabaya heard the two shots and saw the man grab Sabellano’s knapsack and then tuck his firearm to his waist.
But when they passed by, Rabaya dropped to the ground for fear they would shoot him and also get the money he collected as parking fees.
He said the mall only records the entry of vehicles, not motorcycles.
Acting Cebu City Police Office Director Melvin Gayotin said the police have not been remiss in reminding establishments to put in place security measures.
In their meetings with an association of pawnshops and moneychangers, Gayotin said they have repeatedly discussed the need to take precaution because the police cannot cover the entire area of Cebu City.
Gayotin said the moneychanger should have arranged for an armored car or requested for a police escort.
The mall only had five guards on duty, and the one on the ground floor is tasked to go roving.
Other establishments that want extra security hire their own security guards.
Corazon Yarcia, who owns the money changing shop, declined to be interviewed.
However, Conrad Ding, manager of Ludo and Luym Development Corp., which owns the mall, assured they will cooperate in the investigation.
“The official position of the management is that we are investigating the incident and will coordinate with local officials to resolve this,” their statement read.
Gregory Ruben, who works for Vienna Kaffeehaus, was just a few feet away when the robbery took place.
He had just parked the café’s delivery van at the unloading area when the shots rang.
“Nag-abot gani among panan-aw (We stared at each other),” he recalled.
He later lowered his gaze for fear the man would shoot him.
Sabellano said the shop’s cash withdrawal was not routine. It was also not the usual amount that they withdraw from the bank.
He explained that they withdrew a huge amount Friday because banks are closed on weekends and they needed the cash for their business, which is open on weekends.
Friday’s heist was the biggest robbery to hit Cebu City this year.
Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau Chief Pablo Labra II said they have been monitoring the recent robberies in Cebu Province in case one will hit Cebu City soon.
A photo of a man suspected of robbing the Freewill Finance Corp. in Tabunok, Talisay City was shown to witnesses.
The man was identified as Frederick Mancao Ybañez, who is based in Davao City.
At least two men told him they were sure the man in the photograph was the one who grabbed Sabellano’s knapsack.
Sabellano, who was still confused when he talked to reporters, said he was not sure.
He said, though, that if he saw the man again, he might recognize him.
Since the arrest of suspected robbery gang leader Roy Quimada in November last year, robberies pulled on banks, pawnshops, cellular phone shops and moneychangers stopped.
Police tagged Quimada as the leader of all major heists in Cebu, with the likes of Rey Torres, Danny Limotan as his cohorts.
Labra noted the same style in the execution of the robbery.
However, he said the players were new.
The police will check if this was the same group but with new members.
Mancao reportedly signed a personal data sheet in Talisay City claiming he was based in Mindanao but also resided in Talisay City.
Labra pointed out, though, that they do not know if the information written in the personal data sheet was true.
He told reporters the group has been hitting establishments in Lapu-Lapu and Talisay cities. (Sun.Star Cebu)
(July 1, 2006 issue)
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