Security agency joins hunt for guard in bank rob

A security agency joined the police manhunt against a security guard who led four others in robbing a Metrobank branch in Marikina City last May 2.

Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr., Marikina City police chief, said the Commodore Security Agency, with offices in Commonwealth Ave. in Quezon City, formed its own team to track down Benboy Penaloga, 29.

Rojas said a certain Mr. Fernandez, the security agency’s operations officer, has been coordinating with the local police in hunting down Penaloga and his cohorts. "Their (security agency) reputation is also at stake here so they are also going after Penaloga," said Rojas in an interview.

The security agency and the local police have been contacting Penaloga’s relatives and close friends but they have been saying that he was not seen after he got involved in the robbery at the Metrobank branch located along Sumulong Highway in Barangay Sto. Niño.

Penaloga, a stay-in security guard at the bank, allegedly hogtied the bank manager, employees and two day-shift security guards inside the bank. At gunpoint, he reportedly demanded the keys from the bank manager, opened the vault and emptied it of cash.

The robbery was discovered by an employee reporting for work at 8 a.m. the following day who saw the hogtied employees lying face down on the floor.

Witnesses said the robbers had fled on board a maroon Isuzu Trooper towards the Quezon City area.

The bank declared two days later that they lost P3.5 million to Penaloga and his group.

Rojas pointed out that under the law, Metrobank can demand payment from the security agency because the robbery was perpetrated by Penaloga, a security guard they hired in 2002.

The Commodore Security Agency also deploys security guards to at least 30 other Metrobank branches in Metro Manila.

Police also tagged Penaloga as the mastermind in the robbery at the Metrobank branch in Acropolis, Libis, Quezon City four years ago.

This was discovered after Rojas raided Penaloga’s rented room in Marikina City and found a detailed floor plan of the bank and the role of each one of the robbers in the robbery.

Penaloga was a witness in the robbery but he failed to show up in the hearings at Branch 129 of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.

Police will file a motion elevating Penaloga as a suspect in the Acropolis bank robbery so a warrant of arrest could be issued against him.