Armored Van Robbery: One of two guards dies from wounds

Six days after he was shot on the neck during a daring robbery, security guard Procoro Esguerra succumbed late Sunday night at the Cebu City Medical Center.

Esguerra was one of two guards, who were shot by robbers when they took off with close to P3 million just outside La Nueva Supermarket.  The guards were with Grace Manlangit, a pick-up teller of Metrobank, when they were waylaid shortly before they could board the waiting amored van of Mandarin Security Services Inc.

Esguerra, 32, was a native of barangay Bugho of San Fernando town, is survived by his common law wife, Dina Nudalo, who is four months pregnant.

He expired at 9:45 p.m.  Doctors said that the cause of his death was the gunshot wound on his neck.

Police investigators said, Esguerra was immediately shot by one of the two robbers near the entrance door for the store employees.  The alleged gunman was identified as Danilo Flores.

Flores is a former security guard of the said store who was laid-off two months ago after getting involved in a labor dispute. The police have also tagged him as the point man of the Bohol Robbery Group for that heist.

Security guard Medard Rama, who was with Esguerra and Manglangit, also sustained gunshot wounds on the stomach, legs and the right side of the body near his armpit.  He is still recuperating from his wounds, but doctors said that he is already out of danger.

Witnesses said that the alleged leader of the group, Casimero Garcia alias Meloy, was the one who shot Rama and then picked up one of two bags containing the money.  The second bag was allegedly taken by Flores before fleeing.

The Bohol Robbery Group is mostly composed of natives from San Miguel town in Bohol except for Flores who is reportedly from Ginatilan, a town at the southern part of Cebu.

Witnesses positively identified Garcia, Flores and the third suspect as Cresencio Reguya.  The authorities are however still to identify the two drivers of the getaway motorcycles.

Police recovered a gray colored Toyota Lite Ace van registered to a woman in Las Piñas.  The vehicle was parked in front of La Nueva Supermarket along Magallanes Street.

Witnesses said Reguya jumped out of the van with a machine pistol and sprayed bullets at the armored van, when the driver tried to give a chase.

A red motorcycle, believed to be one of two getaway vehicles, was also recovered at Logarta Street, a few blocks from La Nueva.  It is reportedly registered to a man from Sta. Ana, Manila.

Last Friday, the Cebu City Police Office filed the case of Robbery with double frustrated homicide against the suspects.

Following the death of Esguerra, Police Sr. Insp. George Ylanan chief of the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Branch, told The Freeman that they will be amending the case to robbery with homicide and frustrated homicide.

The police have already launched a region-wide manhunt operation, but Ylanan decline to reveal the progress of the operation citing that it would jeopardize their action.

Not Part Of It

Meanwhile, a former security guard of La Nueva identified as Alvin Camacho, who is also a native of San Miguel, Bohol sought the help of the media to clear his name.

Camacho went to radio station DySS last Saturday evening when he learned that he is among the people that the police are looking for in relation to the robbery.

He admitted knowing one of the alleged members of the Bohol Robbery Group, Rodulfo Atega alias Dupong, because they were schoolmates back in high school.

He was brought to the CIIB office for questioning and was later freed.

Remembering Esguerra

The common-law wife of Esguerra in an interview with The Freeman at the funeral parlor yesterday said, Procoro was a responsible man and was working hard to earn money for their planned marriage before she would deliver their first child. 

Now that Esguerra is dead, she doesn’t know how to deal with their future because she is unemployed.

Dina and Procoro finished their college education at the University of the Visayas in 2005. Both are working on their requirements to be able to take the board exams.

A brother of Procoro, Mario, told The Freeman that Procoro dreamt becoming a policeman, but ended up as a security guard after failing to take the board exams due to the lack of money.

Mario said, when Procoro was still studying Criminology course he would work part time as a barber in one of the barbershops along Sanciangko St. to be able to support his studies.

Mario is blaming the police assigned at the vicinity of the crime scene for not responding to the alarm and not doing their job properly for failing to arrest the robbers, who shot Procoro.

“Kung niresponde lang sila sa alarma madakpan man gyud unta to, ang ako lang ikasulti nga dakpon gyud unta nila ang mga tulisan aron mahatagan og hustisya ang gidangatan sa akong igsuon,” Mario said.

Maria and Daisy, Procoro’s sister both said they could not do anything for their brother while he was still confined in the hospital, because the doctors warned them not to move the patient because of his fragile condition.

They both said, the security agency that employed their brother, promised to help after giving them a visit yesterday upon learning the death of Procoro.

Cardinal’s Message

Meanwhile, Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, in an interview with reporters last Sunday said, Cebuanos should trust the leaders and the police of Cebu but urged them to do more in maintaining the peace and order of the city.

“We would like remind our leaders to continue their way of making our city safe, secure and peaceful.—(/NLQ)