Cops get good lead on Fooda robbery

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Police Office has received a good lead that might help identify the robbers, who stole a vault with an estimated P100,000 worth of coins from Fooda Savers Mart last Monday dawn.

Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, director of the CCPO, said that they received reports of men who tried to convert a huge amount of coins into paper bills at a mall.

He said that they are now checking if the mall has a close circuit TV (CCTV) system that might have recorded the faces of the men.

He would not however give further details so as not to jeopardize their operations.

“Dako ni siya nga lead ang among gisubay karon pero dili lang sa ko kahatag sa details kay naay dako nga higayun nga masubay ang mga suspects.” Comendador said.

The city police director has also aired his appeal again to the citizens to inform the police of any suspicious actions by individuals or groups, who would ask for a huge amount of coins to be converted into paper bills.

The CCPO also has a cartographic sketch of one of the suspects, but this has not been released to the public yet.

Another angle that is being checked is the probable relation of this robbery to the one at Dranix Distributors Inc. in barangay Basak-San Nicolas last January 2007.

The same modus operandi was used by the robbers in the two incidents by introducing themselves as policemen complete with uniforms.

Lie Detector Test

The three security guards on duty at the time of the heist will also be made to undergo a polygraph test.

The three — Geoffrey Luna, 28; Jesse Rey Bajenting, 21; and Neil Zoren Boquecosa, 19, readily gave their firearms to three men wearing shirts used by the policemen for their athletic activities, when asked to do so. The three robbers said that they were responding to an indiscriminate firing alarm.

It was after the guards handed their weapons that the men declared a hold-up and more of their cohorts arrived in two vehicles – a black Pajero and a white L-300 van.

Hot Water

PNP Crime Laboratory Chief Dr. Nestor Sator said that PO3 Jorlick Roma, desk officer on duty at the time of the heist who failed to answer the call for assistance from the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO), is now under investigation.

Roma claimed that he suffered from loose bowl movement and failed to be at his desk when the call was made at past 2 a.m.

It was only about five hours after when a team from SOCO arrived at the crime scene.

Sator said he will issue a memorandum to all of his officials instructing them to find ways to improve their system.

Roma is now temporarily detailed at the office of Sator. — Christopher Gabriel Bonjoc/NLQ   (THE FREEMAN)