SITG files charges vs twin jewelry robbery suspects

THE Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) of the Cebu City Police Office filed charges on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, against three of the eight suspects in the robbery of two jewelry stores on Calderon Street, Barangay Ermita, Cebu City, last August 8.

Those charged were Marcial Pacol Ponesto alias Jager, a 31-year-old resident of Sector 6, Barangay Pagsabungan, Mandaue City; a man named Gab from Barangay Poblacion, Lapu-Lapu City; and a police non-commissioned officer assigned in Luzon who currently rents a house in Purok Rose, Sitio Kalit, Barangay San Antonio-Jubay, Liloan, Cebu, but a native of Metro Manila.

The said police officer reportedly owns the Mitsubishi Adventure that the suspects were riding in after the robbery.

The getaway vehicle was recovered by the police around 8 p.m. last August 13 in Zone Ahos, Barangay Paknaan, Mandaue City.

Ponesto, the driver of silver gray Mitsubishi Adventure with license plate GAB 5200 allegedly tried to escape but was caught by the police.

He had a handgun, a hand grenade, and jackets inside the car.

According to Police Colonel Antonietto Cañete, the acting chief of the Cebu City Police Office, only three of the identified suspects will face charges because the results of the digital evidence examination, including the CCTV camera examined by the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (RACU 7) are still pending.

"Momentarily we filed 3, kasi all others have already been identified pero it is dependent upon the result of the CCTV from the RACU-7 after examining it, so with that by principle okay na yun lahat we could file a case against all the perpetrators of the August 8 heist at the Macy's and Golden Chain Jewelry Stores," Cañete said.

The police did not include Michael Obaob Puno alias Mikmik, 42, a habal-habal driver, from Upper Torralba, Barangay Apas, Cebu City who was identified as a lookout because RACU 7 has not yet made public the findings of the CCTV camera examination.

Mikmik was found carrying illegal drugs and a gun after the operatives of Mabolo Police Station responded to an armed person alarm around 1 a.m. last August 16.

Out of those charged, only Ponesto is under police custody, while Gab, believed to be the one hiding the weapons used in the robbery, is still being sought by the SITG.

Apart from the criminal case, the police officer allegedly involved in the crime will also face administrative charges.

The investigation revealed that the policeman was on leave and was reported that he was in Cebu during the twin jewelry robbery.

Cebu City Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia personally went to the Cebu City Prosecutors Office to witness the filing of the cases and to look at the documents submitted by the SITG.

Garcia praised the police for being able to file charges against the suspects in just more than a week since the commission of the crime.

Garcia described the police's evidence as very strong.

"Makaingun gyud ta nga wala gidali-dali nga kaso in fact ako gyud gitan-aw ang mga affidavits ang mga annexes nga gipang attached and sa tan-aw naku maayo man kaayo nilang pagkabuhat air-tight man so hopefully this will lead to a conviction," Garcia said.

(We can say that the case is not ‘rush’; in fact after reviewing the attached affidavits and the annexes, I believe they are very well done, airtight, so hopefully this will lead to a conviction).

One of the investigators in the case who refused to be named, said that they have already completed all the evidence such as the CCTV recordings where the faces of the eight robbery suspects can be seen. (AYB, TPT)