|
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Gang hits power firm, hauls P1.75 million
By Aledel G. Cuizon
CEBU CITY -- Three men wearing Veco uniforms-complete with identification cards and hard hats-barged inside a branch of the Visayan Electric Co. (Veco) on M.C. Briones Highway in Mandaue City Monday afternoon and made off with P1.75 million in less than five minutes.
The huge payoff for the robbers, who were armed with .45 pistols, came from payments of Veco customers.
Security guard Tomas Corpin had already locked the glass door of the office when it closed around 4:30 p.m.
At 5:15 p.m., a woman approached the door and asked that she be allowed to make a payment since her electricity would be cut off.
Corpin opened the door just a bit to tell her that the office was already closed.
Suddenly, the three men in Veco uniforms shoved him inside.
Outnumbered, Corpin wasn't able to fight them off.
One of the robbers pinned Corpin to the floor and told the cashier and two other office personnel to get down.
Aside from the cash, the robbers also grabbed Corpin's firearm. Nobody was hurt.
The robbers fled on a blue motorcycle.
Corpin said the woman who wanted to get inside was nowhere to be found.
While the robbery was taking place, a police patrol car was right in front of the Veco office.
Based on his log sheet, Station 1 Police Chief Abraham Ocampo was outside the Veco office at 5:12 p.m.
Ocampo was checking on his men on beat patrol along the busy highway.
He recalled that as he was passing by the Veco office, he already noticed that the glass door was closed.
From the glass door, Ocampo did not see any commotion inside. He even asked the police car driver to slow down.
Ocampo said that after his inspection, he would have conducted a checkpoint along A. del Rosario Street in Barangay Guizo.
Ocampo even stopped a few meters from the Veco office because he saw an argument between tricycle drivers at the Maguikay flyover.
It was only later that he was informed of the robbery.
Last Saturday, two lending firms in Cebu City were also robbed by two motorcycle-riding men.
Police believe only one group pulled off the heists on Alano and Sons Finance Corp. along Escario Street, Barangay Camputhaw and its sister company, the G.A. Countryside Lending Investor at the D.Y Bldg. at the corner M.J. Cuenco and T. Padilla Extension, Barangay Tejero.
Corpin said he could identify the robbers if he sees them again.
He said the long-sleeved blue Veco uniform worn by the robbers is the same one as those worn by field personnel.
One of the robbers left behind the uniform he wore.
According to a Veco worker, it had a slight difference from the uniforms of Veco employees.
Ocampo said the robbery was pulled off during rush hour since the Veco office, located along a major thoroughfare, is difficult to reach at that time.
The culprits could have fled toward A.C. Cortes Avenue but took a right at the first corner, heading back to Guizo.
He said the robbers would have difficulty going up the Maguikay flyover since there were three of them on a motorcycle.
It would have also been difficult for them to make a left turn towards M.L. Quezon Avenue since many traffic personnel were at the intersection.
Ocampo assured that all angles, including the inside job, will be pursued in solving the case. (Sun.Star Cebu)
(October 31, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
