Bank collector robbed, killed

CEBU, Philippines - A bank collector was robbed and shot dead by three unidentified persons while heading back to the bank after collecting money from their customers Tuesday afternoon in Sitio Martinez, Barangay Caputatan Norte, Medellin.

The robbers took the bag of Dexter Canales, 29, of Barangay Agujo, Daanbantayan, containing an undetermined amount of cash.

Canales, a collector for the Fair Bank-Daanbantayan branch, was found lying in the middle of a sugarcane field with gunshot wounds in his chest and left side of his body.

Responding policemen from Medellin Police Station rushed him to Severo Verallo Memorial District Hospital but he was declared dead on arrival.

PO3 Archimedes Villapes said the perpetrators may have been monitoring Canales’ activities and on the day of the incident, they might have waited for the victim to pass by the secluded area near the sugarcane field and carried out their plan.

Despite his wounds, police believed Canales was able to run to the sugarcane field before he became unconscious.

Barangay captain Agnes Yaon, the last person whom Canales had collected, alleged that a few minutes after Canales left the barangay hall she heard several bursts of gunfire from a distance, which prompted her to call the victim on his cellular phone.

When asked where he was, Canales allegedly replied “Gitulis ko kap, n’ya gipusil ko dia ko’s katubhan nipasalipud.” After hearing this, Yaon said she immediately called the police.

The police found the wounded Canales about 75 meters away from the national highway.

The police suspected that the gunman was using a revolver type of firearm since no slug or empty shell was recovered except for the mobile phone and a pair of shoes owned by Canales.

Witnesses Jefferson Destacamento, 52 and Joel Cabucos, 21, both of Caputatan who were on board a motorcycle claimed that they were approaching the area when they saw one of the three robbers appeared from the field and shot Canales twice.

They said they were not able identify the perpetrators as their faces were wrapped with T-shirts as masks. One of the suspects allegedly looked masculine while the other was slim built.

The police believed the robbers are residents of the area as they were covering their faces to hide their identities.

Arturo Pacifico, chief security division officer of the Fair Bank, said that the bank’s Internal Security Division is also investigating the incident.

Pacifico said they will give financial assistance to the family of Canales.

Cebu Provincial Police Office director Patrocinio Comendador said that bank collectors and small business enterprise are vulnerable to robberies in the northern towns and the police should intensify checkpoints.

He said they have personalities under monitoring for their possible involvement in robberies. — (FREEMAN)