Judge Econg to handle Punta jewelry robbery case

CEBU, Philippines - After their petition asking for the court to declare their arrest invalid got denied, the suspects implicated in the robbery of a jewelry dealer in barangay Punta Princesa will again face Regional Trial Court Branch 10 Judge Geraldine Faith Econg as the case has been raffled off to her sala.

Econg has scheduled the arraignment on August 18. Earlier, she denied the petition of habeas corpus filed by Jennifer Enriquez who is one of the suspects in the robbery case.

Police filed robbery charges against four alleged members of a Mindanao-based robbery gang who held up a trader. The total amount of the robbed pieces of jewelry and cash was placed at P7.6 million. 

Also named respondents were the alleged mastermind Roy Quimada, his lawyer Louie Arma, Jennifer Enriquez, and Junjun Gamanay.

Of the four, only Enriquez was taken into custody and had filed a petition for habeas corpus. Arma, on the other hand, denied the allegations.

Econg, who was then judge of the RTC Branch 9, however, denied the petition on the ground that the police had personal knowledge on Enriquez’ alleged participation in the robbery.

Attached in the complaint for robbery was the affidavit of Frederick Ybañez, one of the four alleged robbers who were arrested when the group was caught in a traffic jam shortly after they robbed Jennifer dela Cerna inside a fastfood outlet at the corner of N. Bacalso Avenue and F. Llamas Street in barangay Punta Princesa last month.

In his affidavit, Ybañez, 36, confessed of his participation to the robbery and pointed at Quimada as the mastermind.

He claimed that Quimada called him up from his native Ozamiz City and instructed him to go here in Cebu City because they “are to stage a robbery.”

He and Noel Davis arrived on July 20 and stayed at a pension house on Escario Street, this city.

After they checked in, Quimada reportedly instructed them to proceed to a coffee shop in barangay Guadalupe where they met. With Quimada were Arma and Enriquez.

He said he knew Arma since he met the lawyer several times with Quimada. He was introduced to Enriquez and her husband Precioso.

Enriquez allegedly explained the plot to him and Davis that she would pretend to buy the pieces of jewelry from dela Cerna. She also instructed the two to “get familiar with dela Cerna’s face” because they “are going to rob her.”

To be familiar with the victim’s physical profile, everyone boarded a vehicle driven by Arma to a school along Osmeña Boulevard. — Jasmin R. Uy/MEEV   (THE FREEMAN)