 |
|
A
security guard was killed after a shootout against five
heavily armed robbers, three of whom are now in police
custody after they held up a vehicle of the Bank of
Commerce shortly before 12 noon yesterday.
Hot
pursuit of police operatives finally led to the capture
of Casimiro "Meloy" Garcia, leader of the
San Miguel robbery group tagged responsible in several
high profile hold-ups here and in Cebu City.
|
Garcia
was cornered by security men of Dumaluan Beach Resort in Panglao
where he checked in with his girlfriend and another cohort
a few hours after the bank heist.
Garcia's
companion was identified as Gelvin Nuez y Reguya, 19, a resident
of barangay Magsaysay, Talibon town.
The
robbers carted away some P200,000 contained in one of the
two bags picked up by three Bank of Commerce security personnel
from Unitop Department Store for deposit.
The
slain guard was identified as Remegio Cañizar, 38,
of Pacific World Security Agency, and a resident of Habitat
Village, this city.
|
|
|
One
of the suspects, identified as Cresencio Reguya, 29,
a resident of Magsaysay, Talibon town, was seriously
wounded during the gunfight.
Two
other wounded security men of the Bank of Commerce were
identified as Mileton Lamoste, 30, single, resident
of Mantacida, Catigbian town and one Tirso Fullido,
30, single, of Biking, Dauis town.
The
three were rushed to the Gov. Celestino Galleres Regional
Hospital right after the shootout.
|
Police
said three security guards picked up the cash amounting to
around P400,000 from Unitop past 11 a.m.
The
suspects were already positioned at the Bank of Commerce premises
when the Mitsubishi Adventure, carrying the cash, pulled over
in front of the bank.
When
Cañizar disembarked, two of the suspects reportedly
gunned him down.
He
was hit in the head and left shoulder causing his immediate
death.
Amid
the shootout, the suspects were able to snatch one of the
bags that contained P200,000.
According
to police, one of the bank security guards was able to take
the other bag inside the bank.
The
suspect, Reguya, allegedly a former CAFGU, was hit in the
back with a shotgun round as he tried to flee together with
his cohorts from the gunfight. He sustained seven wounds from
that single shot.
As
of presstime, Reguya is still fighting for his life after
doctors performed surgery to remove slugs from his back at
the Gallares Hospital.
Both
Garcia and Nuez fled the scene and contracted a van-for-hire
going to Panglao.
Within
range of the single shotgun blast, Nuez also sustained shrapnel
wounds in the right arm. Due to his bleeding arm, Nuez became
the object of clandestine scrutiny by Dumaluan Beach Resort
security personnel.
Garcia
and his girlfriend reportedly asked the resort's reception
if they could avail services of a doctor apparently to treat
the bleeding Nuez.
While
monitoring on the spot coverage of the holdup over station
dyRD coupled by the unusual situation, the resort security
immediately sought police assistance.
A
joint police team of the Panglao PNP, City PNP and the Bohol
Police Provincial Office responded to the call led by Insp.
Alegado Quizon and Insp. Germano Mallari.
Even
before the police team arrived at the resort, the security
guards already collared the two suspects.
According
to the resort security, Nuez attempted to draw his 9-mm handgun
when the guards barged into the suspects' rented room. However,
the guards held them down.
Recovered
from Garcia and Nuez were one Ingram assault rifle with three
fully loaded magazines, a fully loaded 9-mm handgun and P33,000
in cash.
Police
brought the two suspects at the city police station last night
for tactical interrogation.
They
were positively identified by two witnesses brought by police
during the interrogation.
TWO
GUARDS WOUNDED
Two
guards of the bank who were injured in the shootout are being
treated at the Gallares Hospital.
Lamoste
was wounded on his left chest and arm while Fullido sustained
a gunshot wound in his abdomen.
The
Tagbilaran City PNP allegedly got the robbery alarm since
Monday after a tip said they will strike here.
HOT
PURSUIT, LAPSES
PNP
provincial director SSupt. Edgardo Ingking said in an interview
with the Chronicle yesterday that the suspects in custody
have already provided them vital information regarding the
whereabouts of their cohorts.
Two
are still at large as of press time.
Police
operatives are now in hot pursuit to capture the said suspects,
according to Ingking.
However,
the provincial police director said there are lapses on the
part of the bank's security.
He
said, bank security should use armored vans instead of an
ordinary vehicle when they pick up huge amounts of cash.
Armored
vans are considered an extension of the bank, Ingking said.
On
the other hand, according to Ingking, the successful neutralization
of one of the robbers
is a big contribution on the part of the guards.
The
vigilance of the bank security triggered the shootout and
their neutralization of one suspect, he concluded.
TWO
SUSPECTS AT LARGE NAMED
Garcia
and Nuez revealed during the tactical investigation last night
that the two other suspects in the hold-up yesterday were
Rodulfo "Dopong" Atega and Al Fuentes, residents
of San Miguel town.
The
two also revealed other members of their group.
Garcia
named a certain Joseph Fuentes who did not participate in
yesterday's heist.
Joseph
Moraga was also identified by Garcia. Moraga is currently
detained at Camp Dagohoy and facing charges of robbery and
homicide.
Atega
is the brother of former San Miguel robbery group member Harry
Atega who was murdered in Cebu City last January, days after
the hold-up of First Consolidated Bank Foundation employees
here.
OTHER
ROBBERIES
Garcia
owned responsibility in other high-profile hold-up incidents
here such as the broad daylight hits of a Unitop cashier which
claimed the life of the escort security.
He
also admitted that the FCB Foundation, Island City Mall and
Petron hold-ups were also their group's job.
LISTENERS
LAUDED
Radio
listeners who were monitoring the up to the minute account
of the robbery over dyRD were lauded as one listener provided
a tip during the live broadcast that the fleeing suspects
were spotted in a restaurant along lower B. Inting Street.
The
tipster bared that one suspect was bleeding from the arm.
This
report led to another tip from a listener who described the
van-for-hire which the suspects boarded. The caller even gave
the registration plates of the V-hire.
The
security guard at Dumaluan Beach Resort is also credited for
his vigilance in conducting surveillance on the suspects after
he was alarmed by the live broadcast of dyRD on the robbery
and the suspects still at large.
The
dyRD-Chronicle news team provided on the spot coverage of
the incident with the breaking news aired first thru the radio
station by dyRD police beat reporter Willie Maestrado from
the crime scene barely a few minutes when the robbery happened.
DyRD
listeners were glued to the news account up to sign off time
last night.
|
