‘Martilyo’ gang behind town pawnshop heist?

CEBU, Philippines - Police intelligence units suspected that the robbery of Palawan Pawnshop in Barangay Buanoy, Balamban Sunday afternoon was made by a Mindanao robbery group more commonly called “Martilyo Gang” based on the execution of the crime.

Superintendent Rodulfo Albotra Jr., Provincial Intelligence Branch chief, said due reports of the sightings of a robbery group from Mindanao weeks ago could give them possibilities.

“Ongoing among investigation but tungod sa precedent information nga nay arrival sa grupo, but we will wait for the exact findings… dili lang mi gusto nga conclusive mi,” Albotra said.

Albotra said he sent a team to assist the Balamban Police in tracking the robbers. They are also to check all angles, the mode of operation and the firearms used.

As early as now, intelligence units could also not determine if robbers were from Cebu province.

The pawnshop lost almost P300,000 cash to four robbers around 4:40 p.m.

Robbers were on board motorcycles, wearing jackets and armed with undetermined caliber of firearms.

Police initially disclosed that robbers arrived and disarmed the security guard of his .38 revolver while other robbers went inside the pawnshop and demanded for cash.

Police said robbers were keeping an eye of the pawnshop a few days prior to the robbery.

Police also found it hard to use the footages of the closed-circuit television camera due to its blurred video quality. They, however, are looking for witnesses for their investigation.

Superintendent Paul Labra, Regional Intelligence Branch chief, said they are also looking for evidence linking the Mindanao robbery group to the heist.

Labra said execution of the crime was not of professional robbers as one of the firearms used by one of the robbers malfunctioned when barangay tanods responded to the scene.

“Wala nato gipadaplin ang idea nga sila (Martilyo Gang) ang nibuhat sa maong robbery bisan pa man lahi ang nakit-ang manner sa pag execute,” said Labra.

The Alferez and Ampang robbery groups were the robbery groups spotted in Cebu province following the heist of a mall in Cagayan de Oro City last month and robbed items were said to have been sold in Cebu.

“Because of this incident, atong pahinumduman atong kapulisan sa dili pag lower down sa pagbantay sa tagsa-tagsa nilang mga lugar,” said Labra. (FREEMAN)