Three internet café workers arrested for “rob me” scheme

CEBU, Philippines -  Police arrested three internet café workers who stole their employer’s money in a “rob me” scenario in Salinas Drive, Barangay Lahug, on Thursday noon.

Mike Francis Cabatino, 19, one of the suspects, repeatedly punched his face and returned to their office to report that two men robbed him on his way to deposit cash to the bank, PO1 Ramil Duyag said.

Cabatino, who works as attendant of Game City internet café, later admitted to the police that he plotted the robbery with two other suspects, Dominic Cruz, 33, and Vicente Yncierto, also 33, the café’s manager and attendant, respectively.

Cabatino alleged that Romely Desierto, in charge of the café, tasked him to deposit P26,500 cash to a bank which was just a walking distance from their office.When Cabatino was about to leave their office, Cruz texted him to just hand over the money if someone robs him.

When Cabatino reached the vicinity of a nearby restaurant, a man got his bag. The man, who was later identified as Yncierto, told him that he was summoned by Cruz to get the cash.Cabatino then handed over the bag to Yncierto who rode on a passenger jeepney bound for Barangay Apas.

“Then nag-sukmag-sukmag siya sa iyang kaugalingon. Nibalik siya sa office, niingon na gitulis daw siya. Amo sila tulo gidala diri sa TRS. Wa kaagwanta, nitug-an nga gisabutan diay ‘to nila. (Then he started hitting himself and went back to the office claiming that he was robbed. We brought the three of them to the TRS where they admitted that they planned it),” said Duyag, one of the responding police officers from the Theft and Robbery Section.

Yncierto, the attendant of the café’s branch in Mandaue City, was arrested an hour later. Only P19,040 was retrieved from the suspect.Charges for qualified theft will be filed against the suspects.

At around 10 pm on the same day, a jail guard shot and injured an alleged robber who robbed him and his fellow passengers inside a jeepney along P. Del Rosario St.

Alen Espinosa, 26, and his alleged cohort Ralphy Sayat, 22, were allegedly about to escape after robbing a PUJ passenger when jail guard Antonio Capacio shot and hit Espinosa twice.

Capacio, who works as a prison guard of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC), was reportedly riding a jeepney bound for work when the robbers, who posed as passengers, declared a hold-up.

The robbers forcibly took the bags and cellular phones of the passengers, and when they took Capacio’s, the latter resisted. The robbers allegedly tried to stab him before they fled.

This prompted Capacio to pull out his caliber .38 revolver and told the robbers to stop. The two didn’t heed, prompting Capacio to shoot and hit Espinosa.

Sayat was arrested by barangay tanods while Espinosa landed in the hospital. Capacio, who was able to present documents for his firearms, reported for work after the incident.  (FREEMAN)