Second robbery in 2 days robbers strike MLhuillier Naga

CEBU, Philippines - A financial establishment lost P3,000 cash to two unidentified robbers yesterday afternoon in Barangay Inayagan, Naga City past 2:00 p.m., the second such establishment in Metro Cebu to have been robbed in two days.

One of the two robbers went inside the MLhuillier Kwarta Padala and pretended to send cash to a relative but when entertained by the female teller, one of the two robbers poked a handgun and asked for the money.

Out of fear, the teller handed the cash to the robbers who hurriedly left the establishment on foot. The robbery was done in just a minute.

Initial investigation disclosed that robbers just boarded a passenger multicab and disembarked near the establishment. Based on what was recorded by the close circuit television camera of the barangay hall, the two robbers just ran away after the robbery.

The establishment has no security guard or CCTV camera.

Police are still conducting a follow up investigation of the incident.

Just last Tuesday, a Palawan pawnshop branch a few meters away from the police station in Mabolo, Cebu City was also robbed.

Cebu City Police Office Acting Director Mariano Natu-el, Jr.  defended his men although he admitted that it was an insult to the Mabolo Police that they failed to respond immediately to the robbery at the remittance center last Tuesday.

“With regards to the distance, tinuod, it’s a slap in the face of the police station,” said Natu-el.

However, he said the Mabolo Police could have responded earlier if they learned immediately about the robbery in Palawan Express Pera Padala at A. Soriano St., Barangay Mabolo.

“If nadetect-an pa ‘to dayon, sayon ra unta pagresponde. Wa man gani kahibaw ang tapad na establishment about the robbery, how much more ang police,” Natu-el further said. (The adjacent establishment did not even know about the robbery, how much more the police.)

He said the establishment should have also installed an alarm system which would automatically alert the police in case of emergencies. The responding police from the Mabolo Police Station which was just a stone’s throw away from the remittance center allegedly got lost in the way to the area as the victims reportedly gave the wrong directions, said Natu-el.

The CCPO head reiterated that financial establishments like Palawan Express Pera Padala should employ security guards and install a security camera.

“We can’t prevent crimes from happening. Bisan balay sa pulis makawatan, bisan ang jail mapugahan, so maniguro sad ta og secure sa atong mga businesses especially if these are financial businesses,” Natu-el asserted. (Even inmates escape jails and houses of policemen get robbed so we must secure our business establishments.)

Natu-el said further that robbers nowadays are more daring, even striking at financial establishments that are just near police stations.

“Ang location sa establishment is duol sa police station na overconfident na sila not to hire security guards or install security camera with the simple reason na duol ra ang pulis,” he said.

Natu-el tasked Mabolo Police Station chief Ryan Devaras and Theft and Robbery Section chief William Alicaba to dig deeper and invite the victims who were initially uncooperative.

Alicaba, in a separate interview, said they still have no identity of the suspect as the victims themselves did not see the robbers’ faces because they were made to lie down when the robbery was declared.

The male vendor who was attending to his stall right outside the establishment were also only able to give general descriptions of the robbers, which was not enough to come up with a face sketch, said Alicaba.

Natu-el said the victims may still have been in a state of shock, so they may give them time to recall so that the investigation will move forward.

Yesterday, the remittance center was back to business, already guarded by a security guard who was deployed by the management shortly after the robbery.

The outlet’s manager and cashiers, together with one female customer, have just entered the establishment at 8 am when two men, whom they thought were also customers, also went inside then declared a robbery. The robbers ran off with some P150,000 cash and gadgets. — /JPM (FREEMAN)