BARELY a year after the Oro Sugbo robbery in Cebu City, two jewelry stores were robbed by six armed men, who carted away P14 million worth of jewelry in broad daylight on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024.
Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia ordered the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) to resolve the robbery case involving DGC D’ Gold Chain Jewelry Store and Macy Gold and Silver on Calderon St. in Barangay Ermita, within 48 hours.
On Thursday afternoon, Garcia, along with CCPO officer-in-charge Col. Antonietto Cañete, visited the crime scene. Macy Gold reported losing P10 million worth of jewelry, while DGC D’ Gold reported losses amounting to P4 million.
Simultaneous heist
Based on the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, three armed robbers stormed the Macy’s Gold and Silver Jewelry store, grabbing numerous jewelry pieces from the racks, while their three other companions entered the adjacent DGC D’Gold Chain Jewelry. All of the robbers wore helmets.
Customers and store employees were forced to lie on the ground.
In less than a minute, the heist was over.
The culprits fled toward Lincoln St. on three Honda XRM motorcycles.
One of the back riders was seen alighting the motorcycle to retrieve his .45 pistol that fell on the road.
A jewelry cleaner known only as Shane claimed that one of the robbers was waiting outside, but he did not know him.
But he had noticed a revolver concealed around his waist, which had made him and the other sidewalk vendors run.
“Katong laki nga niagi sa among tungod ako pang gihagad nga mopalit og alahas uy 45 naman ang gikuot sa hawak, nag lumbaanay namig panagan,” Shane said.
(I approached the man in front of me and asked him if he wanted to buy jewelry, but he pulled a .45 pistol from his waist. So, we ran).
Cigarette vendor named Emelia Gonzaga, 73, said she was unable to identify the robbers because of fear.
She claimed to have just heard someone yell, “Drop to the ground,” as they brandished high-powered firearms.
Checkpoints up
Cañete instructed his men to conduct the “Oplan Universe” right away, placing checkpoints around the city’s main thoroughfares.
The Cebu Police Provincial Office also ordered all police stations in the province to set up blockades.
Maj. Philip John Libres, chief of the Carbon Police Station, said the two police officers assigned to the area were doing rounds in Freedom Park at the time of the incident.
According to Libres, the robbers who were parking on the side of the road in front of the pawnshop, pretending to be habal-habal drivers, were only observing the police.
Once they realized that the two police officers on beat patrol had left, they hurried inside the two jewelry stores.
Investigators are currently reviewing CCTV footage in the area to identify the perpetrators.
“We are back tracking through the CCTV footage for possible suspects while at the same time doing a manhunt operation,” said Libres.
Reward
“At least naa na silay lead nga duha ka buok and I told them nga kinahanglan inyoha gyud nang pangitaon within 48 hours kay dili lang ang imong pangalan ang nakataya ani hasta ang imong pagka-city director,” Garcia said in an interview after the inspection.
(At least they have a lead, and I told them that they really need to find the suspects within 48 hours because it’s not just your name that is at stake, but also your position as city director.)
“I am very serious about this because binuang maning mga ing-ani. Not in Cebu. So, hopefully in 48 hours we can get our lead and hopefully naa natay madakpan nga mga suspect,” he added.
(I am very serious about this. Not in Cebu. So, hopefully in 48 hours we can get our lead, and hopefully we will catch the suspects.)
Garcia announced that there would be a cash reward for those who could give any information that would lead to the arrest of the perpetrators. The amount will be announced later.
The acting mayor was disappointed with the incident as it contrasted with his marching order of intensifying police visibility in the city’s areas of convergence as a deterrent to criminal activities.
According to the initial reports, Garcia said that there were stationed police patrollers in the area, roving the vicinity of the crime scene.
However, the crime happened when the police patrollers were roving and were far away from the area.
“You know it only happened for 10 seconds, nakuha dayon ang tanan. Mao na very disappointing but wala naman tay mabuhat except pangitaan solusyon ni ug kung kinsay suspect ang put them behind bars,” Garcia said.
(You know it only happened for 10 seconds. They got everything right away. That’s very disappointing, but we can’t do anything except find a solution to this and put them behind bars.)
Garcia added that the police said the perpetrators might not be from Cebu and were not related to the robbery incident at Oro Sugbo on Colon St. last year.
Intensified intelligence
In a separate interview, Cebu City Councilor Philip Zafra called for intensified intelligence gathering down to the barangay level and to ensure compliance of the business establishment to install CCTV cameras to deter crimes.
Zafra, chair of the committee on peace and order, said that the robbery at the two pawnshops was shocking. He condemned the brazen criminal action of the perpetrators in the broad daylight and crowded area.
He said that despite the intensified CCPO’s police visibility efforts, it was not able to deter robbery incidents.
Zafra said that investigations are still ongoing, and he cannot divulge sensitive information. He urged the CCPO to resolve and apprehend the perpetrators as soon as possible.
Upon reviewing the CCTV footage, Zafra said that the perpetrators’ faces were covered.
He added that they are planning to disseminate copies of the CCTV footage to the general public, urging them to help in identifying the mannerisms and physique of the criminals.
Zafra said that there is a possibility that Thursday’s robbery incident was related to the unresolved Oro Sugbo Jewelry robbery case on Nov. 25, 2023.
The alleged mastermind of the Oro Sugbo heist, Jigger Geverola from Argao town, southern Cebu, was arrested but later released due to a lack of evidence. / with AYB, TPT