Witnesses needed to link Pangasinan mayor to Alvin Flores gang

MALASIQUI, Pangasinan , Philippines  – The police director of Region 1 said lawmen are yet to get witnesses that would establish the link of the dreaded Alvin Flores gang with the mayor of San Nicolas town but they are optimistic three gang members will be arrested soon after the release of their arrest warrants.

“It appears our obstacle is to get witnesses to reveal, to tell that indeed the group was in the company of the mayor before,” Chief Superintendent Ramon Gatan told local newsmen when he attended the birthday celebration of Rep. Rachel Arenas Tuesday. He said manhunt is being made against three more suspects of this dreaded syndicate which robbed in broad daylight a watch store in Greenbelt 5 Makati City on Oct. 18.

The gang was said to be behind the series of robberies in Metro Manila.

The robbery gang leader, Alvin Flores, was killed by police in Cebu City on Oct. 29.

One of the suspects, Jay-R Saldivar, is allegedly a relative of San Nicolas, Pangasinan Mayor Leoncio Saldivar III. He is claiming to be a relative of the mayor according to the mayor,” Gatan said. The manhunt is a joint undertaking of the police regional offices (PRO) 1 and 3, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the National Capital Region Police Office, he said. He said the one looking into the possible involvement of the mayor with the group is the CIDG and PRO1 is only helping them with information.

“The warrants of arrest will be out soon and it would be very easy for law enforcement personnel to arrest and execute the warrant of arrest,” he said. Gatan said there should be witnesses that would prove these gang members and the mayor are seen in the house.

“Perhaps the person is afraid to testify,” he added.

It may be recalled that Saldivar himself said he has nothing to hide and is willing to cooperate with policemen about the alleged gang members who served as his bodyguards. He said one of the arrested suspects, Dennis Serquinia, worked in his farm for three days only while another suspect, Warlito Rodriguito, who surrendered when his wife approached the mayor to give himself up to lawmen, worked at the town hall as utility worker but went absent without official leave (AWOL) a month before the robbery.