Robbery at Health Department office: Daginot Gang "member" arrested

ORMOC CITY , Philippines -  — A 19-year-old boxer was arrested the other day by the police for barging into a government building and robbed at gunpoint two night-shift personnel of the Health Department of their cash and belongings at around 1 a.m. on January 14.

In a report submitted by investigator PO3 Roy Arca, the arrested suspect was Joel Parilla, who now works as a construction laborer and had allegedly admitted to being a member of the so-called Daginot Gang in deference to their "walang patawad" penchant to rob any items even of low monetary value.

Parilla was positively identified yesterday at the police station by the victims, Fe Sambrosio, 54, and Shera Jean Radin, 40, both midwives manning the Health Department at the ground floor, which was one of three government offices in the 2-storey building situated at Brgy. San Pablo, six kilometers from the city proper. The other two offices were the DSWD and the police station, servicing the area, which had personnel on duty at the second floor.

The victims claimed to have lost to the suspect a total of P37,000 in cash and valuables, including the wedding ring of Radin, who also told The Freeman that she knew Parilla well, despite the cover on his face, because he lived in an adjacent barangay where she had served once in the past in the delivery of a baby of the suspect's neighbor.

Sambrosio and Radin alleged that Parilla, who had a companion who was posted outside as a lookout, forcibly entered the office's backdoor, aimed a gun at them and took away their money and personal belongings.

He allegedly stayed inside the office for about two hours looking for other items to take away, while warning them not to make any noise or keep their voices low so as not to awaken the other people at the upper floor.

Radin also alleged that at one instance Parilla even asked her to have sex with him, but which he bulked after she duped him that she had her monthly period at the time.

One of the suspects forcibly enters at the backdoor. Poking a gun, he took away the personal money and belongings of the two on duty midwives at the ground floor.

Inspector Shevert Alvin Machete, an official of the City Police, said that Parilla, who is now detained at the police detention cell, when arrested in his house during a police follow up operation yielded a genuine but unlicensed .45 caliber Colt handgun with six live ammunitions.

Parilla had allegedly admitted he was the robber and even identified his accomplice as a certain Dennis Florentino who eluded arrest. The suspect, who was now charged with robbery and illegal possession of firearm and ammunition, also confessed to his involvement in other crimes committed by his Daginot Gang since he joined it in 2007.

Parilla told The Freeman that he was recruited by the group in a local cockpit when he and the gang's fighting cocks were paired for a clash.