Fleeing robber killed; 6 cohorts nabbed

ILOILO CITY — A suspected robber was killed and six of his alleged companions were arrested following a late afternoon heist at a cooking oil depot in Brgy. Jibao-an of Pavia town in Iloilo.

Two other robbers managed to escape but responding policemen from the Iloilo Provincial Public Safety Company (IPPSC) shot to death Sonny Boy Daung, a resident of Dingle, Iloilo, after he allegedly tried to throw a grenade at them.

Senior Insp. Charlie Sustento, chief of the IPPSC 1st Manuever Platoon, said they have no other choice but to shoot and neutralize Daung, who already pulled the hand grenade’s primary pin. What prevented the grenade from exploding was Daung’s failure to pull the safety lever.

The quick chase between police operatives and the robbers did not result in exchange of fire after the fleeing six decided to surrender upon seeing Daung fell.

Arrested were Raymund Emy, 37, chief tanod of Brgy. Agcuyawan Pulo in Barotac Nuevo town; Elmer Lecoan Velasco, 39, and Edwin Anorico, 37, both of Dingle, Iloilo; Joemarie Gine Parcon, 34, of Pototan, Iloilo; Raymund Ngirngir, 53, of Arevalo district of Iloilo City, the alleged driver of the taxi, which was one of the getaway vehicles, and Joebert Gumban, 34, also of Dingle, Iloilo, the alleged leader of the group.

The nine robbers entered the King’s Oil depot, pretending as wholesale buyers of cooking oil. When the depot’s guard opened the gate, they immediately aimed a gun and hogtied him. They quickly went to the cashier’s office and declared a hold-up.

xThe vault’s time-delay lock system however prevented the suspects from taking more than the P200,000 cash they were able to get from the cashier. In less than five minutes, they fled from the scene and boarded a taxi and four motorcycles.

Almost a kilometer from the depot, members of IPPSC, later re-enforced by Pavia and San Miguel Police Stations and the Iloilo City SWAT team, caught up with the suspects near the entrance of a subdivision, where Daung tried to lob a grenade at the authorities but was shot in the process.

After the surrender of the six suspects, the police seized from the latter’s possession two .38-caliber revolvers, a .9mm pistol, a hand grenade, 10 mobile phones, a handheld radio, several identification cards, and P24,400 cash placed in two bags.

Since King’s Oil declared losses of P200,000, it was assumed that the two suspects who escaped took the bulk of the loot. (FREEMAN)