Pawnshop owners did not get threats

CEBU, Philippines - A representative of Gemmary Pawnshop clarified yesterday that its owners did not receive death threats, contrary to what police told the media the other day.

“Wala gyu’y death threats,” Mark Yu, a pawnshop representative, told The FREEMAN yesterday. He also clarified that he is not an owner of the pawnshop.

Gemmary Pawnshop was the subject of a heist last Sunday, but the operation was botched after the pawnshop’s security alarm, which is connected to the local police station, went off twice.

The suspects had burrowed a 10-meter tunnel from the house that they were renting, came out at a sports wear store and then dug a hole in the wall to get the pawnshop.

Yu said the police should not release any statement, such as the supposed threat, if they have yet to resolve the case.

Last Thursday, police said “the owner of the pawnshop received death threats over the phone.”

Yesterday, Insp. Rolando Pinili, chief of the city police Theft and Robbery Section, said what happened was a miscommunication. He said the one who received threats is a witness in the case.

“The once who was threatened was the witness, not the owner of the pawnshop,” Pinili said.

Yu said it was one of the three attendants who said to have received an anonymous phone call from a man the day after the heist.

The caller reportedly called the pawnshop’s branch in Barangay Lahug and informed the attendant about many things concerning the foiled heist. The caller reportedly told the attendant that he was supposed to be part of the operation but ended up not doing so after he was reportedly double-crossed by his “former” cohorts Madrid Madrid Batnag and Kenneth Dayudoy Coplanga.

Batnag reportedly served as a procurement man for their tools and equipment while Coplanga served as their financer. 

But Yu said they did not take the call seriously and thought it might just have been a simple prank.

“Wala namo seryosoa kay wala man mihatag og pangan,” he said.

To recall, aside from the mysterious call the pawnshop received, on Wednesday, Aurora Gotingco, the owner of the house the suspects were renting, reportedly received threats via text message.

Gotingco was invited to the Cebu City Police Office to identify Baby Turing, allegedly one of the suspects.

Toring was, however, allowed to go home after Gotingco failed to show up reportedly because of the threats. (FREEMAN)