THE two persons of interest (POIs) are now being investigated in connection with the pawnshop robbery that occurred in downtown Cebu City last Saturday, November 25, 2023.
However, the Mandaue police personnel refused to reveal their names due to an ongoing investigation.
The two POIs are now in the custody of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).
Following the incident, Police Regional Office (PRO 7) Chief Police Brigadier General Anthony Aberin immediately ordered all police units in the Central Visayas to launch Oplan Dragnet, which involves setting up roadblocks and keeping an eye on all points of departure in Cebu, including the airport and seaports, in order to apprehend the offenders.
Aberin also warned his men not to be complacent because the criminals were armed.
In a video footage captured by the CCTV camera of Oro Sugbo Pawnshop and Jewelry Store, which is located in Colon Street, Barangay Kalubihan, the robbers wearing hats and face masks suddenly arrived and announced that they were going to serve a warrant of arrest against the store’s guard.
One of them sprang over the display cabinets and grabbed all the gold jewelry off the shelf, giving it to his companion who was carrying a sando bag, while the other two, armed with long guns, acted as lookouts.
In less than two minutes, the heist was completed, and the perpetrators fled on two motorcycles.
According to some witnesses, the offenders identified themselves as members of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
A witness going by the nickname Jun, a shoe repairman who set up shop in front of Oro Sugbo, said as soon as the four robbers showed up, they pointed their weapons at him and ordered him to leave.
According to him, they identified themselves as NBI agents and told him they were there to arrest the security guard.
Another witness, Tata, a jewelry cleaner who witnessed the whole incident, said one of the robbers yelled when they entered the establishment: “The guard is wanted. We are from the NBI. Don’t move.”
However, the NBI disowned the bandits.
"They are not NBI,” the NBI told the media in a text message.
NBI 7 Regional Director Patricio Bernales Jr. claimed that in order to clarify the news that was reported in SunStar Cebu, they visited the scene of the incident.
“We just got back from the area and interviewed witnesses but none said the suspects were NBI or introduced themselves as such,” according to the NBI 7 information office.
According to the NBI, whenever they conduct an operation, their members identify themselves by wearing badges. (With TPT)