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Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Robbery ends in shootout
By Jovy S. Taghoy
CEBU CITY -- Three armed men robbed a pawnshop in Poblacion, Pardo, Cebu City, engaged policemen in a shootout and held hostage an employee to flee from the scene.
But less than eight hours after they robbed Exquisite Pawnshop and Jewelry, the three suspects, their accomplices and their mastermind were arrested by the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).
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Acting CCPO Director Patrocinio Comendador identified the three robbers as the Caramihan brothers Bernard, 28, and Alvin, 30, from Benedicto, Bacolod City; and Rolex Jaboc, 31, of Calatrava, Negros Occidental.
The others were identified as Alex Evaño, 36, his 58-year-old mother Allen, and Caniboy Temple, 31.
Teacher
Alex, who used to teach accounting subjects in a university in Cebu City, has been tagged as the alleged mastermind.
His mother and Temple allegedly helped Alex in providing logistics, especially the .357 Magnum revolver and the two .38 caliber revolvers that were used in the heist.
The robbery took place at 8:05 a.m. just as the pawnshop was about to open for the day. Exquisite Pawnshop and Jewelry is owned by the Norkis Group of Companies.
Security guard Dioscoro Madraga of the Archangel Security Agency said he had just opened the door when the robbers pointed a gun at him.
He was made to kneel in front of a wooden chair while his hands were tied behind his back with a shoelace.
Before going inside the pawnshop, the robbers rolled down the steel door.
Two of the robbers went inside the pawnshop and pointed a gun at the appraiser, Chuvelyn Jumao-as, while ordering her to open the jewelry safe.
The other robber stayed with Madraga, pointing a gun at the security guard’s head.
As the heist was going on, the Pardo Police Station, which is only about 100 meters from the pawnshop, received a telephone call about the robbery.
PO2 Joel Lacson and two other field-training policemen responded to the alarm.
Lacson, who didn’t know the robbers were still inside, tried to open the roll-up door. But he was met by gunshots by the robbers.
One hurt?
A shootout ensued.
No one was hurt. But unconfirmed reports received by Insp. Aurelio Sanchez, chief of the Pardo Police Station, said one of the passengers of a passing jeepney was hit in the crossfire.
One of the robbers grabbed Jumao-as and used her as a shield in going out of the pawnshop. The police couldn’t open fire.
The robbers took Jumao’as’ cellular phone worth P10,000, Madraga’s phone worth P2,000, P3,000 cash from the pawnshop, and the portable vault where the assorted jewelry and cash were kept.
The robbers used Jumao-as in keeping the policemen at bay.
Then they escaped on foot towards a narrow road beside the Pardo Parish Church and uphill near the Alta Vista Golf Course.
Because the jewelry safe, estimated to weight about 10 kilograms, was too heavy for the fleeing robbers, they threw it in the alley near the Pardo Parish Church.
PO2 Severino Belleta, a Punta Princesa policeman residing in Poblacion Pardo, found the safe and turned it over to the Pardo Police Station.
Chase
Patrol cars from the Mobile Patrol Group (MPG), Special Weapons and Tactics, and Theft and Robbery Section (TRS) arrived in the area and joined in the chase.
The MPG team led by PO2 Rowelo Gabutan caught up with Jaboc in Sitio Kawa-Kawa.
At the TRS Office, Jaboc squealed on his companions.
Jaboc led the TRS team and the Talisay City Police Station to Alex, his mother and Temple in Campo Tres, Barangay Jaclupan, Talisay City past 2 p.m.
The Pardo Police Station, on the other hand, arrested the Caramihan brothers at 3 p.m. in a stall in Pardo public market. The suspects were buying pairs of slippers.
The police recovered from the Caramihan brothers the cellular phones of Jumao-as and Madraga, and the P3,000.
The Caramihan brothers and Jaboc admitted robbing the pawnshop. Jaboc said he was the one who pointed a gun at the security guard.
Alvin said he was the one who held Jumao-as hostage. Bernard said he carried the loot.
Jaboc said he and the Caramihan brothers arrived from Negros Occidental about two weeks ago and took shelter at the house of his wife’s sibling in Campo Tres, Jaclupan, Talisay City.
Jaboc said that last Saturday, Alex met them and discussed with them the plan to rob the pawnshop and six other establishments—five in Cebu City and one in Mandaue City.
Jaboc said Alex, who allegedly owned a white car, even drove them Saturday night to the pawnshop to get used to the place.
Jaboc said it was Alex’s mother who provided them last Sunday night with the firearms.
The Caramihan brothers said Alex and two others were not involved in the heist.
The Caramihan brothers said they just arrived in Cebu a few weeks ago and it is impossible for them to get to know Alex and the two other alleged cohorts.
Alex, his mother and Temple, when sought for comment, also denied any involvement in the robbery.
Alex said they have not met or known Jaboc and the Caramihan brothers. He said he is planning to question their arrest before the court.
“Palpak”
But Comendador and Insp. Michael Anthony Baster, TRS deputy chief, said that apart from the confession of Jaboc dragging the other suspects in the robbery, the CCPO was able to get hold of Alex’s cellular phone where one of the text messages said, “palpak ang trabaho.”
Comendador said the initial information they received was that Alex’s group is involved in robberies in Leyte, Negros and Cebu.
The CCPO also learned the Alvin Caramihan is facing a murder case, while Bernard Caramihan has a robbery case in Negros Occidental.
Comendador said charges of robberies will be filed today against the six suspects.
Comendador also urged other robbery victims to go to the CCPO at the Camp Sotero Cabahug to see if they can identify the suspects. (Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cebu. (April 17, 2007 issue)
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