Driver who took P200T arrested in Pagadian

The driver of a former mayor of Ginatilan town who stole P200,000 from the latter last Sunday evening was arrested in his hometown in Tawagan Sur, Pagadian City, last Wednesday night.

Eddie Cantago, 32, forcibly opened the bedroom of former Ginatilan mayor Antonio Cinco, 75, and took P200,000 last Sunday afternoon.

Earlier, Cinco reported to the Theft and Robbery Section of the Cebu City Police Office that he asked Cantago to drive him to a cockpit last Sunday from his house in B. Aranas Extension, barangay Duljo-Fatima.

Upon arriving at the cockpit, Cantago opted not to go with him inside. He said he would just wait outside in Cinco's car.

But while Cinco was inside the cockpit, the driver immediately left the car and went back to Cinco's house in B. Aranas, forcibly opened the master's bedroom and took the P200,000 which were proceeds of a gasoline station Cinco operates in Ginatilan.

As Cinco was about to go home around 6 p.m. that day, he couldn't locate Cantago so he decided to drive himself home after seeing that the car keys were left in the ignition.

When he arrived at his place, he was surprised to find out that his room was already opened and that the P200,000 was missing.

Upon learning from his neighbors that Cantago was the only person who went inside his house, he immediately sought the assistance of the police, while some friends accompanied him to look for Cantago at the pier area.

In an interview yesterday, Cantago admitted to running away with the money. He said he was about to give his wife P10,000 but the latter refused to accept it, suspecting it was stolen. He also said he didn't immediately boarded a ship bound for Pagadian but spent money in the city and only decided to leave for Pagadian when he only had P30,000 left.

Ginatilan police chief Daniel Comission yesterday said that they received information about the suspect's whereabouts last Tuesday but since they did not have any warrant for his arrest, they left Cebu for Pagadian city and coordinated with the police who arrested Cantago last Wednesday night.

A robbery case is now being prepared against the suspect who owned up to the crime after his arrest, saying he "only got tempted." - Flor Z. Perolina