Utility man, cousin nabbed for "making up" robbery

CEBU, Philippines - A utility man of a transport company and his cousin were arrested after conniving to acquire for themselves the P400,000 cash the former was asked to withdraw from a bank by making it appear that he was robbed yesterday in Cebu City.

Operatives of the Theft and Robbery Section of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) arrested Israel Rebulado, 28, single, a utility man of Asian Marine Transport Corp. and a resident of 177-I Sikatuna Street.

His first degree cousin, Ryan Rebulado, 32, single, a barber and a resident of Ponce Compound, Barangay Capitol Site was also arrested.

Apart from their arrest, the follow-up operation conducted also led to the recovery of the cash though it already lacked P4,000 as Ryan claimed he spent the amount to allegedly pay his debt.

Hours prior to their arrest, around 5:30 p.m., Israel reported to the police that he was held up by an unidentified man by the use of a bladed weapon along Osmeña Boulevard near corner Manalili St., Barangay Sto. Niño.

Sr. Isnp. Bonifacio Garciano, chief of the TRS, said that the man, which according to Israel was covering his face with a cloth, allegedly divested his blue sling bag containing P400,000.

Israel further alleged that he had just withdrawn the money from DBP at Osmeña Blvd. and was on his way to Bank of Commerce several blocks away to deposit it as what Violy Loste, head cashier of the transport company located along Gorordo Avenue, had ordered him to do.

The police became suspicious when they observed in consistencies in Israel’s statements, especially about the exact place, time, descriptions of the “suspect” and how the incident happened.

Thorough investigation led Israel to divulge that he contacted his cousin Ryan after withdrawing the cash. Both allegedly connived to equally divide the money between them and Israel would just fabricate a story that he was robbed.

Israel then gave the sling bag containing the money to Ryan and as they agreed, Ryan would keep the money for a moment while Israel would report the fabricated story to the police.

Guided by Israel, the policemen conducted a follow-up operation in Barangay Capitol Site and recovered the bag containing the money from Ryan’s possession.

When the money was counted in the presence of Nelson Uy and Tirso Uytengsu III, representatives of the transport company, it lacked P6,500. Further interrogation led Ryan to turn over the P2,500 part of the money concealed inside his coin purse while the other P4,000 lacking was already used to pay his debt.

The total cash recovered amounted to P396,000.

The two cousins are now temporarily detained at the CCPO lock-up cell pending the filing of appropriate charges.    (FREEMAN NEWS)