Ex-guards face raps for robbing hotel

CEBU, Philippines – Two security guards were arrested Saturday dawn after they robbed workers and the hotel they were assigned to secure.

Police caught up with Liskie John Tejamo and Bernie Paiste, 24, at the Cebu South Bus Terminal shortly before the suspects could escape out of Cebu City.

Tejamo is from La Libertad town in Negros Oriental while Paiste is from Villahermoso, Roxas, in Zamboanga del Norte. Both were security guards of Dragon Heart Security Agency.

Senior Police Officer 4 Roldan Paller of the Mabolo Police said the two suspects went to the Cebu Budget Hotel in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City at past 11 p.m. last Friday and pointed a gun at the two employees at the cashier’s area.

The stay-in maintenance employee, Randy Arones, 30, lost his Lenovo cellular phone worth P2,900 while the cashier, Dante Ibay, 25, lost his two Samsung cellular phones worth P18,000 each. The suspects also took away the hotel’s earnings amounting to P9,500.

Paller said the hotel terminated the suspects’ employment when they stopped reporting from duty. He said no guard was securing the hotel at the time of the incident.

Personnel of the Mabolo Police immediately hunted the suspects down after the hotel’s employees reported the robbery.

Thinking the two would leave Cebu City to escape, the cops proceeded to bus terminal and found the two there.

The policemen also recovered the items stolen and confiscated a .38 caliber revolver from Tejamo.

Tejamo and Paisteare facing robbery charges. —/JMO (FREEMAN)