HOPING he could escape, Mario Remetre ran to the rice field and fired his gun at chasing policemen until he was shot in the chest and wrist, leading to his arrest in Barangay Capalaran, Tambulig, Zamboanga del Sur last Friday afternoon.
The 42-year-old Remetre was tagged one of the men who allegedly robbed P5.5 million worth of jewelry from My Gold Jewelry Store on Colon St. in Cebu City last April 25.
He was also allegedly involved in the P1.9-million robbery of the E-Bingo Club at the City Times Square in Mandaue City last March 23, said Police Regional Office 7 Director Prudencio Tom Bañas.
Cooperation
Remetre, who hails from Zamboanga del Sur, said he is a member of the Florida-Remedios Robbery Group, but he refused to comment on his alleged involvement in the robbery in My Gold Jewelry Store.
“Mo-cooperate na lang kos pulis kasi kilala ko silang lahat na kasama ko, iyan lang ang masasagot ko ngayon (I’ll cooperate with the police because I know all my colleagues, that’s my answer for now),” Remetre said.
The group’s leaders are Michael “Budlat” Florida, former member of Monopollo Robbery Group, and Ruel “Yoyong” Remedios, former member of the Alferez Robbery Group.
Before he joined the group in 2012, Remetre was a security guard.
Police recovered his identification card from Mandarin Security Agency.
“Daghan na siyang mga pawnshop o banks na pinagsilbihan so daghan na sad siyag mga security guard nga naamigo (He had served in a number of pawnshops and banks, so he must have befriended many security guards there),” Bañas said.
No fingerpointing
Remetre, though, declined to comment whether his group connived with the employees of My Gold.
“Mahirap magbintang sa tao, kawawa naman (I couldn’t bring myself to point a finger at them),” he said.
He said his children and wife did not know he was into robbing stores and banks.
Operatives of the Regional Intelligence Division 7 and Regional Special Operations Group 7 headed for Zamboanga del Sur last Wednesday.
They had a pending warrant for Remetre’s arrest issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Suceco Arcamo in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.
Remetre was also allegedly involved in the robbery of Oro China Jewelry and Pawnshop in Tagbilaran City on Aug. 28, 2012.
When the operatives arrived in Ozamis City last Thursday, local police confirmed that the suspects in the robbery of My Gold Jewelry Store were somewhere in Zamboanga del Sur.
They then coordinated with the Provincial Intelligence Branch of Zamboanga on Friday and found out that Remetre was staying in Tambulig, his hometown.
When police found Remetre later that day at 3:10 p.m., the suspect tried to flee. He ran to the rice field near his house and engaged the operatives in a shootout.
The exchange of fire lasted 10 minutes. It stopped when Remetre’s .45 pistol conked out and his right chest and wrist were grazed by bullets.
He was brought to three medical centers in Zamboanga del Sur and Ozamis City before he was brought to Cebu last Saturday.
Ongoing pursuit
Police identified Remetre as the one who wore a surgical mask and a large sling bag during the My Gold heist, as captured by the store’s closed-circuit television cameras.
His group also allegedly robbed jewelry stores and remittance outlets in Ozamis City, Pagadian City, Bacolod City and Manila.
Bañas said the hot pursuit against four other colleagues of Remetre, one of whom is from Luzon while the rest are from Mindanao, is ongoing.
Bañas urged business establishments to refrain from letting their security guards do other duties other than keeping the store safe.
“Iyang mga security guards natin goal nila (Their goal is the) security of our establishment wag gawing (don’t turn them into a) water boy, janitor,” Bañas said.
Bañas said Remetre will be brought to Bohol to face the robbery charges filed against him in 2014.
Cebu City Intelligence Branch Chief Romeo Santander, in a separate interview, said they are ready to file charges against the suspects of the robbery in My Gold Jewelry Store. With DSM