Pawnshop loses P2.6M to robbers

Hilongos, Leyte, Philippines – In a broad daylight heist, Henry Lhuillier Pawnshop and jewelry store in this town lost P2,685,551 to four armed robbers last week in less than five minutes.

In the ensuing investigation conducted by local police, it was found out that the suspects timed their moved when the security guard, Apolonio Lagusan, went out to buy food for lunch as per instruction by vault custodian Randy Cabel.

Cabel has been vault custodian since March 2006.

In a signed statement, Cabel said he was surprised when four men entered the establishment just as the guard went to buy food. He was left alone during the 12:30 noon robbery.

“One of them declared hold-up, while another one boxed him in the right eyebrow, pointed a short firearm and eventually inserted it in my mouth,” his statement reads.

Cabel said he was dragged to the teller room while the other robbers took the assorted packs of jewelry and cash from the open vault and the money at the counter. The robbers left right after.

In his affidavit, Lagusan said he was surprised to see Cabel lying in the floor weak with injury.

“I called his attention and asked what happened, “naunsa man ta sir?” to which Cabel reportedly replied “gitulis ta kuya”. Cabel then instructed him to report to the police, but Lagusan said he chose to stay at the pawnshop and asked the caretaker of OGIS lechon manok nearby to contact the authorities.

An inventory of the items at the pawnshop was conducted subsequently in the presence of authorities and Dante Verano, area manager of the company.

Looking at the gallery of wanted persons at the police stations, Cabel pointed to the picture of a certain Josie Sumaylo, a resident of Hilongos Leyte, as the one who boxed him and inserted a short firearm in his mouth.

In an interview with The Freeman, PCI Ramil Amodia said they have also identified the other suspects, but refused to disclose their identity so as not to jeopardize an ongoing operation. He, nevertheless, said that based on follow-up investigation, it appears that the suspects have studied the pawnshop well before carrying out their plan.

“Dinhi na sila three days before...we’ve them telling them (HLhuillier) and other establishments to set up CCTV, unfortunately some did not comply,” Amodia said.

The police have already filed a case for Robbery (Art. 295 of the Revised Penal Code) against Josie Sumaylo and three others before the Assistant Provincial Prosecutors Office in Hilongos docketed under NPS NR VIII-02F-INV-12D-00059. /JMO (THE FREEMAN)