2 cops behind heist

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Police Office tagged two former policemen, one from Mindanao and the other from Cebu City, as the ones responsible for the robbery of a money remittance outlet in Sitio San Roque, Barangay Guadalupe, last Thursday.

CCPO director Senior Superintendent Noli Romana named Eugene Salingay, who is a native of Oroquieta City and PO2 Ronilo Manuel, as the ones behind the Western Union-Guadalupe robbery. Salingay was a policeman who was dismissed from service while Manuel was previously assigned to the Cebu City Public Safety Battalion before going absent without official leave.

Footage from the closed circuit television cameras installed in the money remittance outlet showed that Salingay was the first to enter the establishment at 12:30 p.m., he was wearing a ball cap and a black T-shirt.

Both of the tellers positively identified Salingay as one of the robbers.

Salingay’s companion, whom police called “Paopao,” who was wearing a motorcycle helmet and a black shirt also entered few minutes later and declared a robbery.

The robbers took P32,000 from the outlet, casually walked outside and left on board a motorcycle after the heist.

Romana clarified that Manuel had no direct participation in the robbery. However, he said that Manuel was the one who reportedly helped Salingay stay in Cebu, thus making him as an accomplice of Salingay.

“Siya ‘yung contact ni Salingay dito,” he said.

Manuel, who has been AWOL, is also facing dismissal from service as well as criminal charges for his alleged involvement in a robbery along R. Landon Street, Cebu City, last February.

A criminal complaint for robbery was filed against Manuel, a resident of Barangay Duljo-Fatima, together with his friend, Benito Andres Abiar, who was also identified by the victim as the companion of Manuel during the robbery.

Both Manuel and Abiar denied the charges against them and were able to post bail.

Romana said that while they have gathered initial information that Salingay was already dismissed from service, they still have to check on his whereabouts in Oroquieta City.  Salingay was reportedly involved in robbery and illegal drugs in Mindanao and is facing two charges for robbery.

“Paopao,” the accomplice of Salingay in the Western Union robbery, reportedly works for Manuel. Police are trying to uncover the real identity of this “Paopao.”

The Western Union branch was the first money remittance outlet to be robbed in Cebu City following the recent order of the city government to suspend the business permits of several financial institutions and establishments that do not have security guards.

While a functional security camera was installed, the said outlet did not have a security guard.  —/BRP (FREEMAN)