Two men indicted for robbing caterer

CEBU, Philippines - The two men who were earlier arrested for robbing and causing injury to the owner of a catering business in Barangay Punta Princesa are now facing robbery with frustrated homicide case before the Regional Trial.

Prosecutor 1 Maria Therese Casiño elevated the case against Sim Abordo and Roldan Ranollo, natives of Sultan Kudarat, Mindanao.

Casiño said Maria Lina Mier, owner of Maria Lina Catering Services and other witnesses positively identified the two as the ones who carried out the crime.

She added during the inquest proceedings, the accused owned up the crime and pointed at Punta Princesa barangay councilwoman Manilyn Mier, the victim’s daughter-in-law, as the mastermind.

Abordo and Ranolo said Mier gave them an initial advance payment of P33,000.

“This circumstances, coupled with the personal identification by the complainant and her witnesses of the respondents raise no doubt that there is probable cause that indeed the crime has been committed,” Casiño said.

The separate charge for robbery with frustrated homicide case for Manilyn Mier, the alleged mastermind, will be set for preliminary investigation.

Prosecutor Rhodna Bacatan, handling prosecutor, said the complaints were re-raffled last Friday and she sent the subpoena yesterday to Manilyn for her to file her counter-affidavit.

Batacan said after Manilyn files her counter-affidavit, she will evaluate the evidences presented for 60 days to determine if the case will be recommend for dismissal or it will be elevated to the court.

“After Manilyn can file, I will look into the evidence presented by each party if their will be a probable cause to elevate the case to court,” Bacatan said.

Maria Lina earlier filed a case of robbery with frustrated homicide against Abordo, Ranollo and Manilyn.

Maria Lina alleged that on March 20, 2011 at around 11:40 a.m., she and her family just arrived in their house when Abordo, armed with a hand gun, suddenly grabbed her bag that contained her two cellphones worth P17,000 and cash amounting to P340,000, several cards and other documents.

Maria Lina also saw Ranollo, pointing a gun at the security guard.

She allegedly shouted for help while holding her handbag but the accused then struck her head several times using a handgun. The then accused left and boarded a motorcycle with his cohort and sped away with her valuables.

But Mier’s son, Kurt, who was about to park his car noticed the incident and intentionally hit the suspects’ motorcycle who fell from the vehicle with the shoulder bag and pistol.

The accused then boarded a taxi and attempted to escape but were trapped and arrested by the police on Tres de Abril St.    (FREEMAN NEWS)