22 banks lost P90 million to robberies in 2005, says lawmaker

Some 22 commercial and universal banks in the Philippines lost a total of P90 million to bank robbery gangs in 2005, a lawmaker disclosed yesterday, as he blamed the heists on "inadequate law enforcement."

Lone Catanduanes Rep. Joseph Santiago called on the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to take the "lead role in probing bank heists," just like what its counterpart the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) does in the US.

"Well-entrenched gangs have been goaded into storming more banks simply because the authorities have failed to demonstrate resolute action in bringing to swift justice those involved in previous heists," Santiago said.

In a statement, the lawmaker said "the certainty of getting caught and getting punished is the best deterrence to more bank robberies and other syndicated felonies. This is really a law enforcement problem, plain and simple."

Santiago cited the statistics he got from the Philippine National Police, where he gathered that "hoodlums raided exactly 100 banks and carted away a total of P221 million" in the last three years.

In 2004, gangsters hit 41 bank offices and armored trucks and seized P59 million. In 2003, they raided 37 banks and took P72 million.

"Many of the bank heists involved active and inactive police officers and military men," he said.

"In view of this, the NBI should have the lead role in investigating bank robberies. In the US, FBI assumes the lead role in criminal investigation of all bank robberies, which are considered federal offenses," Santiago said.

The biggest bank heist in 2005 was in August, when a total of P50 million was carted away from an armored truck in Pasig City.

Of the 22 banks that were attacked, seven were in Metro Manila, four in Cebu City, three in Rizal province, two each in the provinces of Bulacan, Laguna and Nueva Ecija and one each in Cavite and Davao del Norte.

Eight people — four robbers, two cops, a bank guard and a civilian — were killed in the 2005 bank heists. Five were reported injured. Before the year ended, a policeman was shot dead in Makati City while a member of the public safety department was hurt. — Delon Porcalla