12 charged for P9.4 M Cebu bank heist

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) recently filed robbery charges against 12 persons involved in robbing a Land Bank of the Philippines branch in Cebu last Aug. 2 of P9.4 million.

Ludovico "Lloyd" Lara, NBI executive officer for the Regional Operations Service (ROS), said their Central Visayas Regional Office (CEVRA) headed by Acting Regional Director Medardo de Lemos filed the charges against former Army Private First Class Joseph Ancajas and the bank’s security guard, Henry Cuerdo. Both men have been arrested.

The CEVRA also included in the charge sheet a certain Ceferino Serbano, of Barangay Cogon, Cebu. He reportedly owns the maroon Nissan Vanette, with license plate GLA-333, which was allegedly used as the suspects’ get-away vehicle and was found abandoned inside the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Also named as respondents in the complaint were Joel Somabong, Dindo Anceto and seven other still unidentified persons. A total of 12 men allegedly conspired to commit the crime.

"The regional office stepped into the investigation upon the request of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and Land Bank-Bogo manager Ramon Destajo," said De Lemos.

The NBI said there was a breakthrough in the case when Cuerda confessed to Special Investigator Arnel Pura that he provided the information on the bank activities to the suspects.

It was earlier reported that Ancajas is the brother of Favian who works as a janitor in the bank. Ancajas was previously assigned to 15th Infantry battalion in Bohol. He was arrested on Aug. 8 in Barangay Taytayan, Bogo on the strength of a warrant of arrest for a physical injuries case that happened in 2001.

He was positively identified by bank teller, Jocelyn Antigua, who said he had poked a gun at her while they were inside the vault.