Five men face robbery charges

CEBU, Philippines- Charges of carnapping and robbery in band will be filed today against seven men and a woman accused of victimizing a casino financier last Sunday.

This, as authorities said the timely coordination between Lapu-Lapu City Police Office and the Cebu Police Provincial Police was instrumental in the arrest of five of the suspects in the towns of Oslob and Samboan, Cebu the same day.

Senior Superintendent Armando Radoc, LLCPO director, said they also coordinated with Mandaue City Police Office and the Cebu City Police Office aside from CPPO.

He said he provided information about the carnapped vehicle and the number of suspects based on the information they have gathered after the incident.

Acting on the information, CPPO Director Noel Gillamac immediately sent a flash alarm to all police station chiefs in the southern part of Cebu about five armed men were on board a black Montero sports utility vehicle.

The police stations from Talisay City all the way to Samboan town then conducted road blocks immediately after getting the message past 10 a.m.

Around 1 p.m., while Alcoy Police Station Chief Jomar Medil and his men were manning a checkpoint along the national highway when they SUV did not stop when they flagged it down, resulting to a car chase.

Medil then sent a message to the provincial headquarters about the SUB that eluded their checkpoint.

The police stations of Boljoon and Oslob joined the chase that led to the arrest of the driver Rodrigo Boyles of Ubay Bohol and Khent Colanggo, 21, of Mabini, Bohol; and Gary Jaylo, 34, of Pres. Carlos P Garcia in Bohol.

The police recovered two .45 pistols loaded with three magazines, the carnapped SUV, high-end bags of victim Mary Rose Amit, the suspects’ backpacks, a packaging tape, and car accessories.

The other suspects were identified as Jericho John Francisco, Ritchie Signar, Rudy Adaya, Christopher Viña, and the 27-year-old Ozamis City resident Joy Chan.

Police Inspector Zenaido Pastorfide, Crime Against Property Desk chief, said that although Chan cooperated with them leading to arrest of the other suspects, she would have to face the two criminal complaints would be filing against her.

“It is up to the court now whether Chan can become a state witness and, therefore will face a lesser offense,” Pastorfide told reporters.

All suspects are currently detained at the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office detention cell.

Amit was victimized after allowing Chan to sleep overnight in her house in Deca 4 Subdivision in Barangay Bankal, Lapu-Lapu City last Saturday because the said visitor allegedly had a fight with her boyfriend.

Around 7:45 a.m. the next day, Chan reportedly woke Amit up, saying that she will cook noodles because she was hungry and declined the offer to have Amit’s housemaid assist her.

Investigation revealed that Chan allegedly unlocked the gate and the door downstairs past 8 in the morning, allowing the suspects to rob Amit of her

P682,000 cash; jewelry, bags and gadgets worth 4.9 million; and her black Mitsubishi Montero (YLB-565) that the suspects used as getaway vehicle.

The police also recovered a .40 pistol with 12 bullets, a KG-9 automatic rifle, P140,000 cash, and two mobile phones from Francisco.

Past 7 p.m. Sunday, Samboan Police Station Chief Luis Lacandula in coordination with Chief Inspector Rex Lomente received information that two suspects boarded a ferry bound for Dapitan City.

They immediately went to the port and caught y Adaya, 30, and Benya after witnesses identified them as the persons responsible for the robbery.

Yesterday, Gillamac congratulated the police stations of Oslob, Boljoon, Samboan, and Alcoy for the successful arrest of the suspects, especially mentioned the timely response and coordination of his men.

Meanwhile, in an interviewed with The Freeman, Boyles said he was just contacted to drive the car and was scolded by a certain “Jojo,” whom he said was the mastermind, because they came late in Carcar City where they agreed to meet.

“Pag-adto nila sa Carcar sir gi-park nila ang Montero naay tulo ninaug, duha kabook nagdala og bag, ang duha nilakaw. Gikasuk-an pa ming Jojo kay dugay kaayo mi nilarga, niana dali na mo larga na kay naay kuan trapik, paglingi nako sa luyo wala na ang tulo sir,” Boyles said.

He said that he was just paid P900 to drive the SUV and that he did not know that it was carnapped.

Colanggo, on the other hand, said Jojo is the husband of his wife’s sister who allegedly promised him P20,000 after the job was done, which he did not know involved robbery and carnapping.

“Ana siya kada usa ka tawo P20,000 nangiyawat lang pod ko kay naa koy pamilya, wa ko kabalo nga ingon ani ang sitwasyon,” Colanggo said.

When he was arrested with Boyles and Jaylo, he said he felt remorse over what he did, especially his wife did not know what happened to him, as his family is now left without a breadwinner.  — /RHM (FREEMAN)