8 holdup gang members nabbed for Sokor’s killing

Camp Vicente Lim, Laguna — Eight suspected members of a notorious robbery-holdup gang responsible for robbing and killing a South Korean businessman in Cavite last May 23 was arrested by a joint team of the provincial police and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) last week.

Superintendent Gil Blando Lebin Jr. , CIDG-Region 4A officer, identified seven of the arrested suspects as Fernando Diza, 42, a fisherman; Jina Diza, 39, a barangay nutritionist; Nolito Opiana, 35; Abelardo Capistrano, 49, a government employee; Rolando Mondido, 29; Alexander Arevalo, 25, a fish vendor; Joel Manipol, 30. The eighth suspect is a 14-year-old boy.

Opiana and spouses Fernando and Jina Diza were the first to be arrested by the joint team led by Chief Inspector Madzgani Muksan Mukaram at their residences in Rosario, Cavite last Friday. They yielded three $100 bills believed to be part of their loot.

Arevalo and the rest of the suspects were arrested after a brief chase in Zapote, Bacoor, Cavite last Sunday. They shot it out with the lawmen, resulting in the wounding of two bystanders.

The group was reportedly plotting to rob another grocery store in Paliparan 3, Dasmariñas town when they were intercepted.

The gang’s alleged leader, Fernando Cagoco, and four of his other henchmen escaped during the chase.

Police said Opiana confessed during the interrogation that he was the one who tipped off the group as he was a former security guard working for Seok Soo Lee, vice president of Keyrin Electronics Inc. located at the special economic processing zone in Rosario town.

Lee was shot dead after he refused to give the P3.6-million payroll and $12,000 to the suspects along the national highway in Kawit, Cavite last May 23.

Police said Seok was on board his Nissan Cefiro with his bodyguard-driver Ericson Dimaandal when a motorcycle sideswiped the right side mirror of the vehicle as it approached the Binakayan-Tejeros bypass road in Barangay Marujas.

When Dimaandal alighted from the car to check what happened, the two robbers immediately announced the holdup. A third man suddenly appeared and ordered Seok to hand him his attaché case, but he refused.

One of the robbers then shot Seok in the thigh. Seok died before reaching the hospital due to massive loss of blood.

During the tactical interrogation, the suspects reportedly owned up to a series of robberies and holdups in Cavite and Metro Manila. — With Rene Alviar, Ed Amoroso and Cecille Suerte Felipe