THE Davao City Police Office successfully arrested one of the suspects in a robbery hold-up of a jewelry store in Ilustre Street, Poblacion District, a few hours after the incident occurred, as a hot-pursuit operation is ongoing to catch the other suspects.
The arrested suspect was identified as one Jonny from Leyte. He was nabbed near the Bankerohan Public Market where authorities also recovered firearms and the motorcycle used to transport the stolen items.
According to police reports the suspects, who were seen on a closed circuit television (CCTV) to be three in all, carted off jewelry valued between P40 million and P100 million in broad daylight on Wednesday, February 26, 2025.
In the initial reports of the San Pedro Police, the suspects were armed with both small and high-powered firearms, as confirmed by CCTV footage near the crime scene.
“Naa na 'tay identity sa mga suspek. Naa na poy description para ma-apprehend sila kung muagi sila sa established nga mga roadblocks,” said Police Major Emmanuel Manlatican, acting station commander of San Pedro Police.
“Sa initial investigation nato, dili sila taga-Davao. Ang claim sa isa [sa mga suspect] dili sila from Mindanao (We already have the suspects' identities, and we also have their descriptions, which will help us apprehend them as they pass through the established roadblocks. Based on our initial investigation, they are not from Davao. One of the suspects even claimed that they are not from Mindanao).”
Manlatican further said that the robbers cannot be considered an organized group due to the lack of proper planning for their illegal activities. The police also emphasized that the incident may be considered an isolated case.
Meanwhile, the security guard, in an interview with a local media outlet, confirmed that the three suspects entered the building and stole several pieces of jewelry within a span of about three minutes, stating, "Daghan ang nakuha. Halos tanang mga gold ug mga diamond (They took a lot. Almost all of the gold and diamonds).
Authorities said the suspects will face multiple charges, including violations related to the Omnibus Election Code, which governs election-related offenses, as well as robbery.
The inclusion of the Omnibus Election Code charges suggests that the incident may have occurred during a period of heightened political activity, where certain restrictions on the movement of individuals or firearms are in place.
Manlatican told SunStar Davao in a phone interview that they are still in the process of compiling a comprehensive report on the incident, as their dragnet operation continues.
Pawnshop attendant’s account
Meanwhile, Cindy, who has worked at the pawnshop for over 30 years, recounted the terrifying ordeal as armed men stormed the establishment.
"Second life na gyud nako ni (This is truly my second life)," said Cindy (not her real name), a longtime employee of Hannah’s Jewelry Pawnshop, after surviving a robbery hold-up along Ilustre Street in Davao City on Wednesday morning, February 26, 2025.
Suspicious
She recalled that around 9 a.m., a man entered the store, and she approached him as she would any customer. However, unlike others who usually state what kind of jewelry they are looking for—whether for their wife or girlfriend—this man remained silent and appeared restless.
"Gipangutana nako sya unsa iyang ginapangita pero wala man nitubag. Ang uban nga customer, muingon man para sa ilang wife or uyab ug unsang klaseng alahas ginapangita pero sya wala ma'y tubag. Nagtan-aw, tan-aw ra sya sa mga estante (I asked him what he was looking for, but he didn’t respond. Other customers would usually say if they were looking for jewelry for their wife or girlfriend, but he said nothing. He just kept scanning the shelves)," Cindy said in an interview with SunStar Davao after she had a late lunch at an eatery along Gov. Duterte Street.
Moments later, three armed men burst into the pawnshop. One of them, who spoke Tagalog, shouted,
"`Dapa, dapa (Get down, get down)!"
Cindy pleaded for their lives, saying, "Ayaw lang intawon mi ninyo patya kay luoy among mga pamilya (Please don’t kill us; our families will suffer)."
But the robber repeated his demand, yelling, "Dapa, dapa (Get down, get down)!"
At that moment, Cindy suspected the first customer was part of the robbery crew.
Life-threatening
Cindy said it was the first time their branch had experienced a holdup, although their Legaspi branch had previously been robbed by the Acetylene Gang years ago.
She recalled, "Paspas gyud kaayo ang mga panghitabo, igo ra ko nakapindot sa alarm namo diretso sa police station den midapa nako kay gipadapa na mi (The events happened so fast. I barely had time to press the alarm, which is directly linked to the police station, before dropping to the ground as the robbers ordered us to lie face down)."
The store's security guard was held at gunpoint, leaving him powerless to act.
Hearing the commotion, a co-worker on the second floor immediately contacted their employer.
One of the suspects, speaking in the local dialect, threatened them, saying, "Naay granada diri (I have a grenade here)."
At that moment, Cindy feared the worst. She closed her eyes, recalling the date and thinking, "Hangtud diri nalang gyud siguro akong kinabuhi (This is probably where my life ends)."
As the robbers looted the store, one of them threw a sack of jewelry onto Cindy’s back and even stepped on her.
"Sakit akong likod (My back hurts)," she said. "Nasamad sad ko pagdapa nako (I also got wounded when I dropped to the ground)," she added, showing the grazes on her elbow.
Aftermath
After the robbers fled, Cindy and her colleagues felt relieved but deeply traumatized.
"Second life na gyud nako ni. Ambi gyud nako katapusan na nako ganina. Dakong pasalamat nako sa Ginoo kay safe ming tanan, wala'y seryosong nahitabo sa amoa, pero kato daghan kaayo mga nasibat ang mga holdupper (This is truly my second life. I really thought it was the end for me earlier. I am deeply grateful to God that we are all safe and that nothing serious happened to us, but the robbers got away with a lot of valuables)," Cindy added.
Among the stolen items were several original Rolex watches and jewelry from high-end brands.
Cindy appealed to the authorities for stronger security measures.
"Hangyo lang namo sa atong kapolisan, police visibility gyud especially sa mga areas nga duna'y mga pawnshop. Dako gyud nang tabang ang police visibility para magduha-duha himo mga dautan ang mga kriminal (We urge our police to increase visibility, especially in areas with pawnshops. Police presence helps deter criminals from carrying out such acts)," she said.
Meanwhile, Hannah’s Jewelry and Pawnshop-Ilustre will remain temporarily closed for inventory as police investigations continue. DEF, MLSA