THE Davao City Police Office (DCPO) said seven suspects linked to a brazen daylight jewelry store robbery inside a mall in Buhangin will be charged this week, with authorities also verifying whether the group is part of a known criminal syndicate.
Police also confirmed that the suspects are not residents of the city, as investigations continue to establish their identities and movements.
DCPO spokesperson Captain Hazel Caballero, in a media interview on April 20, 2026, said investigators are now completing the final case build-up for the filing of robbery charges against the seven individuals tagged in the April 11 incident.
“They are from outside Davao. We are currently coordinating with other Police Regional Offices to determine if they are part of a known criminal syndicate,” she said.
Authorities have not yet established a confirmed group name or affiliation, but cross-regional coordination is ongoing to determine whether the suspects have links to organized crime groups operating across Mindanao or beyond.
Previous reports of the incident
Based on earlier police disclosures and initial media reports following the April 11 robbery, the incident unfolded inside a jewelry store located at CityMall Gate in Buhangin, where several armed individuals entered the establishment in broad daylight. Witness accounts and initial security assessments indicated that the suspects quickly declared a hold-up, causing panic among mall personnel and shoppers.
Reports said the suspects proceeded to forcibly take assorted jewelry items from display cases before fleeing the scene on scooter-type motorcycles. The swift nature of the operation suggested prior planning, with investigators initially describing the incident as a “coordinated and fast-moving” robbery executed within minutes.
Security personnel and responding police units arrived shortly after the suspects escaped, prompting an immediate lockdown of the area and a follow-up pursuit operation. However, the suspects had already left the vicinity before authorities could fully cordon off possible exit routes.
Investigation and forensic work
Following the incident, DCPO units recovered the motorcycles believed to have been used as getaway vehicles. These were later subjected to forensic examination as part of the evidence-gathering process. Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) also processed the jewelry store, lifting multiple latent fingerprints and other potential trace evidence that investigators are now analyzing to establish identities and linkages.
Authorities have also been reviewing CCTV footage from the mall and nearby establishments to reconstruct the suspects’ movements before and after the robbery. This is to map possible escape routes and identify logistical support networks that may have assisted the suspects.
Manhunt and coordination efforts
The DCPO said tracking efforts are being guided by intelligence inputs and pattern analysis, which indicates that the suspects come from outside Davao City specifically to carry out the robbery.
DCPO director Colonel Peter Madria said authorities are maximizing their operations to ensure the arrest of the suspects.
Additionally, authorities could not yet confirm whether the suspects are linked to previous robbery incidents in the region, but investigators are currently comparing operational signatures and travel patterns.
The filing of charges this week is expected to formally initiate judicial proceedings even as the manhunt continues. DEF
