Man admits to taking part in robberies

CEBU, Philippines- A suspected robber has admitted his involvement in a series of robberies committed in Metro Cebu.

Rodel Duños, 21, of barangay Pit-os, Cebu City was arrested with live-in partner last Saturday midnight shortly before he was about to rob Alberto's Pizza House along Plaridel Street, corner A.C. Cortes Street in barangay Cambaro, Mandaue City.

Duños was arrested after a concerned citizen tipped off police when he saw a man that looked suspicious standing near the pizza house.

Insp. Wilson Abot, chief of the Opao police station, said that after receiving the report, they immediately went to the area on board on a private vehicle past 12:00 midnight.

Moments later, they stopped in front of the pizza house and got off from the vehicle. At this point, Duños tried to pull out a .38 caliber revolver from his waist when he saw the police but their number might have discouraged him from shooting it out with them.

His alleged cohorts who were near the area, sped off on a motorcycle.

Police found a gun from his waistline with three bullets, and two small sachets containing a crystalline substance believed to be shabu from his wallet.

Duños refused to name his cohorts and their whereabouts.

During an interview with reporters yesterday, Duños admitted having taken part in robberies carried out in Metro Cebu.

He said he was also part of the group that robbed a taxi driver and left the dead body in barangay Pulang Bato, Cebu City this year.

He also admitted robbing two call center agents Blance Marie Bomediano and Jacklyn Kline Torres last March 30.

He said he drove the Tata taxi while his cohort Harold Oporto was seated in the passenger seat.

But Oporto was killed in barangay Tawason, Mandaue City last April 13 after Duños left for Butuan City with Oporto's money.

He was killed by Archie Dionaldo, who was arrested in Cebu City for robbery charges in May 6.

"Iyaha man unta birahan akoa papa kay nasuko siya kay ako gidagan iya kwarta mao amoa na lang siya gi-unhan," he said.

Duños also admitted that on April 3, he together with Dionaldo and Oporto robbed the Kevin Mits taxi (GXL 612) driven by Victoriano Dela Cerna and killed the driver.

Cerna's body was dumped in barangay Pulang Bato, Mandaue City.

They used Cerna's taxi to rob other passengers.

Duños drove the taxi while Diona hid in the passenger seat and Oporto was in the boot.

 But the pre-empted robbery incident last Saturday night was not true, Duños said. He claimed that he went in the area to meet his textmate who turned out to be a policewoman who then handcuffed him. 

 He said the gun and two sachets of shabu did not belong to him.

Aside from the gun and the two sachets of alleged shabu, the police also found a Casio watch, an IPOD which the police recovered from his neighbor in Pit-os, and a Samsung cellular phone which he gave to his wife when he visited her in Butuan City.

IDMB chief Enrique Belciña on the other hand urged victims of motor riding suspects in tandem to visit the MCPO and identify the suspect.