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Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Robbers flee with 2-3 million pesos
By Jovy S. Taghoy
CEBU CITY -- Two security guards were injured when four robbers, two of them believed to be carrying a .45 pistol and KG-9 machine pistol, robbed a bank teller who had just picked up cash for deposit at La Nueva Supermart.
La Nueva Supermart is located at the corner of Magallanes and Burgos Streets in Barangay San Roque, across the Cebu City Hall.
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Grace Maglangit, a pickup teller of Metrobank Plaza on Osmeña Blvd., had just gotten out of La Nueva through the employees’ entrance and was about to board the armored van past 11 a.m. when the armed robbers declared the holdup.
Maglangit’s escort, security guard Procoro P. Esguerra, was shot by one of the robbers in the neck and thigh while another security guard Medard V. Rama, who was standing at the door of the van, was shot in the right leg, stomach and right armpit.
Rama and Esguerra, both of Mandarin Security Agency, were taken to the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).
As of 5:15 p.m. Monday, Homicide Section investigator Dennis Moga said the security guards were still in the male surgical ward of the hospital.
Witnesses, including security guard Edgar F. Adubal, driver of the armored van; Elmer Ian Ilagan, a security guard of GDS Security and Detective Agency and General Services posted at the employees’ entrance of the supermart; two employees of La Nueva; and a male ambulant vendor are among the people helping the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) in the investigation.
Superintendent Pablo Labra II, CCPO deputy director for operations, said they are now pursuing members of the Bohol Robbery Group as the possible perpetrators based on the descriptions given by witnesses.
A robbery suspect has also been included in the manhunt operation after one of the witnesses identified him.
Lapu-Lapu City Police Chief Louie Oppus, in a separate interview, could not point a finger at the culprits that robbed La Nueva Monday, but he said the store along with five other establishments on Magallanes St. were marked “X” as targets for robbery on the sketch left him by slain robbery suspect Brando Babao.
“I can’t conclude, but those in the sketch have happened and we are now coordinating with the police in Cebu City,” he said.
Babao was shot dead after posting bail at the Lapu-Lapu City court for an illegal possession of firearm case. Police suspect that his colleagues who wanted to silence him were behind the shooting.
But before he died, Babao left Oppus a sketch of Magallanes Street and all the roads that crosses it. La Nueva, two banks and three hardware stores were marked as targets.
Oppus said robbers in Cebu normally “import” people from among their groups if their operation requires more manpower.
“As I understand from Babao they are already united. Wala na sila magkanya-kanya (It’s no longer an each-man-for-himself situation),” he said.
Babao was caught by members of Lapu-Lapu’s Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) together with his leader Felixberto Mamerto or “Jun” Aldemita and two others for illegal possession of firearms last June 20.
Labra, when sought to comment on Babao’s earlier revelation, said the CCPO is still verifying this report.
Judging on how the heist was executed, Labra said it was well planned and was pulled out by a robbery group.
As to the amount taken by the robbers, Labra said he is still waiting for the bank or La Nueva to come up with figures.
Adubal, in an interview with reporters, said he was behind the wheel when he heard several bursts of gunfire.
The next thing he saw was the two armed men running towards the road in Magallanes Street where two motorcycles, driven by two cohorts, waited for them.
Before fleeing, the armed robbers pumped several bullets at the armored van. They reportedly fled towards the port area.
One of the slugs caused a dent at the van’s windshield.
After finding out that his fellow security guards were injured, Adubal rushed them to the CCMC.
Ilagan, for his part, said he was at the employees’ entrance when he also heard the “rapid” shots, prompting him to go out and check.
Ilagan said he saw one of the robbers shoot Esguerra while the other robber snatched the bag where the money was placed from Maglangit.
Jerelito R. Soria, 27, an employee of La Nueva, said he was holding the pushcart near the van when he noticed a commotion, followed by several bursts of gunfire.
Out of panic, Soria tried to scamper to safety in the corner of the supermart but in the process hit his head on the wall.
“Wala nako kabantay sa dagway sa mga tulisan kay nahadlok naman ko (I was too scared to get a good look at the robbers’ faces),” Soria said.
Another employee, who spoke with SPO1 Jay Yballe and SPO2 Dennis Moga of the Homicide Section, said he got a good look at the two robbers.
The employee, who requested not to be named, said the two men were already in the area minutes prior to the incident.
Yballe told reporters that the two men even tried to sell a cellular phone to the employee before the incident.
The employee is certain he will recognize them if he sees them again.
Personnel from the Scene of the Crime Operations recovered one empty magazine believed to be from the KG-9 machine pistol, 26 empty shells from a 9mm, six empty shells from a .45 and nine slugs from an undetermined caliber.
One of the owners of La Nueva told reporters he will wait for police to finish their investigation.
Meanwhile, Filomeno Lim, president of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who went to the supermart after learning about the incident, expressed his concern and alarm over the incident.
“The robbery was very daring, in broad daylight. Certainly it will affect a lot, especially on the foreign investors. They will be reluctant to come. You see, in business our partner is peace and order,” Lim said.
He, however, said he trusts the government, particularly the police, to solve the incident.
He reiterated his appeal to members of the chamber to be extra careful and to beef up security measures to avoid falling victims to robbers.
Lim, though, believes La Nueva and the bank did not commit any lapses when it came to security because they deployed enough security guards during the pickup.
He said the perpetrators were just daring and organized to pull off the heist. (JST/With a report from AIV)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cebu. (August 14, 2007 issue)
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