A NOTORIOUS group from Ozamiz City was behind the robbery incident in Gaisano City Grand Mall in Bacolod City on Wednesday evening.
This was confirmed by Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) director Police Colonel Henry Biñas during its consultative meeting with Councilor Al Victor Espino and the business group at GT Hotel in Bacolod City Thursday, August 8.
Biñas said they already identified the suspects and they are still conducting a follow-up operations to arrest them.
He said the suspects were from Ozamiz City and they have local contacts here.
On Wednesday evening, more than 10 unidentified assailants, who were armed with long and short firearms, destroyed the stall glasses of Hoaling Jewelry Store and F&C Pawnshop and Jewelry Store using a hammer and carted away P4.5 million worth of jewelry in Gaisano City Grand Mall.
Biñas said he already ordered all the station chiefs to intensify its visibility patrol and to alert the business establishments within their areas of jurisdiction.
“It’s an isolated case, but we need to address this problem,” he said.
On a separate interview, Police Major Charles Gever, chief of Police Station 8, said Thursday some of the suspects were identified through the footages of closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera of the mall and the statement of the witnesses.
He said the suspects had pending criminal records.
Gever said before of the incident, one of the suspects bought a hammer and axe inside the mall and some of his companions served as look-out inside and outside the mall.
He said the suspects, who was armed of unidentified firearms, also disarmed the security guard assigned at the entrance of the mall and fired it and fortunately, no one was hit.
They took the security guard’s shotgun firearms.
Gever said the suspects carted away a total of P3.8 million worth of jewelry from Hoaling Jewelry Store and P700,000 from F & C Pawnshop and Jewelry Store.
In March 2013, suspected members of the Acetylene Gang and Ozamiz Group also robbed the F&C Pawnshop and Jewelry Store along Gonzaga Street and took about P1 million worth of jewelry.
Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said it’s very sad that it happened here in the city.
“Our policemen should intensify its visibility to prevent the possible operations of lawless elements. Our city is very peaceful and we are hopeful that this will not happen again,” he said.
Familiaran urged the business establishment owners to be vigilant and to install CCTV cameras and to hire well-trained security guards.
Councilor Al Victor Espino, chairperson of the City Council committee on police matters, said this is very important that the local businessmen will also cooperate with the policemen.
“They should also give us their feedback so we can provide them security,” he said.
He added the city government needs the cooperation of everybody to maintain the peace and order in the city.