Agusan priest, cashier held up

BUTUAN CITY , Philippines  – An Agusan del Norte priest and school cashier of a Catholic school in Agusan del Norte town were among those victimized by a series of armed robbery incidents that happened on the same day in Caraga Region past Tuesday noon.

On the same date around noon, a development officer of Green Bank in Trento, Agusan del Sur was robbed by three unidentified suspects armed with two .38 caliber revolver at Purok 6, Barangay Aurora, in Sta. Josefa of said province.

But Caraga police headed by Police Regional director Chief Superintendent Lino Calingasan said they were able to arrest one of the suspects of the daring broad daylight armed robbery inside the compound of Gaisano Mall Butuan City.

Butuan Police said they arrested Gaisano Mall robbery suspect Ruel Remontigue, 23, single and resident of Purok-6, Barangay Villa Kananga, Butuan City.

Police did not explain how they were able to arrest Remontigue as his close relatives denied his participation in the robbery. Remontigue’s kins claimed foul play on his arrest saying he was just a “fall guy” to appease robbery victims.

Both daring robbery incidents happened in broad daylight and in full view of the public, the detailed police report described.

Police report claimed that at about 12:15 p.m. near the Pizza Hut area just outside Gaisano Butuan along G. Rosales Street, Butuan City, one Leah Makiling, 44, cashier, together with Fr. Lubin Tutas, 41, school director of Saint James High School in Buenavista, Agusan del Norte were held up by three unidentified suspects armed with .45 caliber pistols and carted away cash amounting to P225,000 and $800 cash.          – Ben Serrano