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Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Pawnshops lose P13M in robbery
By Jovy S. Taghoy and Jujemay G. Awit
CEBU CITY -- The armed men who robbed two jewelry stores along Magallanes St. in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City last Saturday carted away more than P13 million worth of jewelry.
An inventory report submitted to the Theft and Robbery Section (TRS) stated that Oro Sugbo Pawnshop and Jewelry Store lost P11,712,500 worth of assorted jewelry, while its sister firm, Agencia Anne, lost P1,308,290 worth of jewelry.
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Oro Sugbo and Agencia Anne were owned by Siquan siblings Josephine and Nena, respectively.
The police filed complaints for robbery with homicide against arrested robbery suspects Emmanuel Alemboyong Caraballe (not Caraballo as the suspect earlier told the police) of San Agustin, Surigao del Sur and Baby Lapinid Toring.
Eight others were included in the complaint as John Does.
Toring cried when brought to the Cebu City Prosecutor's Office Monday and repeatedly told Assistant City Prosecutor Marla Barcenilla that he was not among those who robbed the pawnshops.
His family also trooped to the Cebu City Police Office headquarters at Camp Sotero Cabahug hoping to clear his name.
Toring's wife, Elizabeth, and Beatrice Petallar, claimed he is a good man and has never participated in any robbery.
The family of Remedio Dungog, who died after taking a bullet in the chest during the shootout between the fleeing robbers and a lone off-duty policeman, also showed up at the Homicide Section to seek justice for his death.
The perpetrators were on board a white Toyota Lite Ace van (GDJ 400) when the shootout occurred.
Remedio, who was standing near the jewelry store, was believed to have been hit by a slug coming from the M16 armalite rifle used by one of the robbers.
Nilda Gaiking, Remedio's younger sister, Marichu Dungog, the victim's daughter and Lalaine Dungog, the victim's sister-in-law cried during a meeting with Homicide Section Chief Mario Monilar.
Gaiking said Remedio, who worked as a staff member of Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza, was in Magallanes St. waiting for his son, who delivered sacks of bottle crowns and used empty cardboard boxes, to arrive from Talisay City.
Remedio and his son sold crowns and boxes.
Superintendent Pablo Labra II, city police deputy director for operations, said Toring and Caraballe were identified by several witnesses as among the robbers.
He said at least three witnesses identified Toring.
Toring and Caraballe were also allegedly identified as members of a group of robbers from Mindanao.
In his affidavit submitted to the court Monday, Oro Sugbo goldsmith Samuel Ajeyas, 29, said four men barged into the pawnshop at 11 a.m. last Saturday.
He identified Caraballe as the person who disarmed the pawnshop security guard, as well as Toring.
Agencia Anne security guard Lorenzo Buan also identified Caraballe and Toring in a police line-up as among the pawnshop robbers.
The off-duty policeman who engaged the robbers in a shootout executed an affidavit, saying he saw seven armed men come out of Oro Sugbo and Agencia Anne pawnshops at 11:15 a.m.
He said he went after the suspects but failed to catch up with them.
He identified Caraballe and Toring, who were arrested in a hot pursuit operation, as among the perpetrators.
Meanwhile, TRS Chief Michael Anthony Bastes, said the van that the robbers used as getaway vehicle was purchased from a car sales center in Mandaue City by a certain Erwin Ignacio from Dumaguete City a day before the heist.
The police are verifying the identity of Ignacio.
The original price was P130,000 but Ignacio reportedly got a discount of P3,500 because he decided to take charge of the processing of the documents.
Cebu City Police Office Director Patrocinio Comendador, in a news conference, said M16 magazines and bullets will be issued by the Police Regional Office (PRO) Central Visayas soon and these will immediately be distributed to beat patrol policemen, who will go in tandem with cops with short firearms.
A refresher seminar on handling the rifle will be initiated before the beat patrol police officers will be sent to the streets. (Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cebu. (May 27, 2008 issue)
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