Third store robbed in less than 2 weeks

CEBU, Philippines -  Barely two weeks since robbers pulled separate heists on a Route Stop Convenience Store in Barangay Guadalupe and a 7-Eleven branch in Barangay Duljo Fatima, a pair barged confidently into another store along just a stones throw away from the Cebu City Police Office dawn yesterday.

Investigation revealed that the suspects arrived on board a motorcycle and entered Florence Convenience Store at past 3 a.m. while pretending to be customers. Moments later, they declared a holdup and took away the store’s sales amounting to P5,000, the attendants’ three mobile phones, and items from the store, including a bottle of rum, a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, as well as bottles of deodorant and gel.

The two men were wearing black helmets and shirts and stood about 5’4 and 5’5 tall, respectively.

One of the employees, Erna Marquez, said one of the suspects asked if they could drink outside the store and waited for the cashier to come out of the restroom.

When she returned to her station and after the other customers left the store, the suspects pointed a caliber .45 at the cashier and demanded that she hand the money over to them.

“Nangutana pa man to sila og pwede ba mag-inom sa gawas, unya ang cashier naa man sa CR mao to gitawag atong isa kay duha man sila kauban, pag-gawas sa cashier mao to gituyok dayon siya diri gitionan og (caliber) .45 man daw,” Marquez said.

 “P5,000 ang cash then items, nag-grocery pa sila Marlboro, Tanduay Dark, mga Axe, lighter, gel ilang gipangkuha, nag-helmet silang duha, ang isa maoy nag-shopping,” she added.

Chief Insp. Wildemar Tiu of Police Station 2 said it appears that the robbers were “rookies” and they have already requested a copy of the Closed Circuit Television camera footage to identify the suspects.

Action needed

Senior Supt. Conrad Capa, deputy regional director for operations, said the operations on convenience stores cannot go on.

“Statistics will not matter. Ang problema, ang impact nyan so we have to check this. This cannot go on,” Capa said during a command conference yesterday.

At the City Hall, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella said the series of robberies in the city are meant to discredit the police.

“It is my opinion that this is more of a propaganda strategy than a real intention to rob money, considering the meager amounts robbed,” he said.

While the police have been successful in their campaign against illegal drugs, Labella said, “of course, they have also to shape up and be more vigilant, alert…The malefactors seem not after the amount of the loot but more of propaganda to discredit the police. It is even possible that they have contacts from within the police organization,” he said.

Mayor Michael Rama has since called on store owners to strengthen their security measures. — (FREEMAN)