6 charged in P14-M gold heist

MANKAYAN, Benguet — Six people, including two government militiamen, were charged with murder and robbery in connection with the P14-million gold bullion heist at the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co.’s compound here on Sept. 20 last year.

Lepanto engineer Ricardo Tamayo Jr. and security guards Abraham Damogo, Romeo Pongod, Francisco Mallare and Peter Chopchopen were gunned down by six robbers as they were transporting a 21-kilo gold bar to a waiting helicopter at the company’s airstrip.

Lawyer Jose Limmayog, Region 2 director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), identified the suspects as Rimando Nabulay, his brother Danny, Julius Banatao, Agustin Quibang and Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) members Camodes Paksi and Noel Tidong. All are still at-large.

The Nabulay brothers and Tidong are all from Barangay Camanpaguey here, while Paksi is from a neighboring barangay. Banatao hails from Conner, Apayao, and Quibang from Rizal, Cagayan.

Lepanto officials have sought the help of Limmayog, former Cordillera director of the NBI, along with lawyer Darwin Lising, a special investigator of NBI-CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region), in the investigation.

A preliminary hearing of the case is scheduled tomorrow at the sala of Municipal Trial Court Judge Thomas Rufino here.

"The case is now good as solved," Limmayog said, adding that his men are bracing for a gunfight in case the suspects, who are now being hunted down, would resist arrest.

Earlier, Benguet police gunned down a deaf-mute who was suspected to be one of those behind the heist, the biggest so far against a gold mining firm in Benguet.

A few months ago, Benguet police arrested a certain Joseph Coop because he walked with a limp, as one of the robbers did.

The court subsequently dismissed the charges against Coop and freed him because of insufficient evidence. It was revealed that Coop had been shot by a policeman in the leg, which caused the limp.

The Northern Luzon Command also linked the New People’s Army to the heist, claiming that the communist rebels badly needed funds.

Limmayog said Lepanto is offering cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of the six suspects.