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A
quick response of joint police operatives of the Bohol Police
Provincial Office and the City PNP cornered four of five armed
men who were about rob Bombay Bazaar Monday night, this city.
The
suspects, alleged members of a group responsible for robberies
in the towns of Bilar and Dimiao, have been the subject of
surveillance operations following a tip received by the PNP
of their plans to stage a series of robberies during the Sandugo
festivities.
The
four suspects pinned down by police were identified as Maximo
Yecyec y Sahulga, 24, married and resident of barangay Cabanbanan,
Dimiao town; Meddie Paigalan y Maestre, 36, married and resident
of barangay Yanaya, Bilar town; Alberto Doria, 34, single
and resident of barangay Riverside, Bilar town; and Joseph
Cruta y Garan, 23, single and resident of barangay Owac, Bilar
town.
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Doria,
previously convicted of murder, was among five inmates
who bolted the Bohol Detention and Rehabilitation Center
(BDRC) back in 2000.
Seized
from the suspects was a fragmentation grenade, a calibre
.45 revolver and a .38 caliber revolver all with live
ammunitions.
According
to PNP provincial director SSupt. Edgardo Ingking, the
group planned to hit Bombay Bazaar right during its
closing hours.
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Two
of the five suspects would allegedly go to the manager, when
the last of the store's roll-up doors is about to be closed.
One suspect is reportedly assigned to neutralize the store's
lone security guard and the other two suspects would serve
as lookouts.
Ingking
said, that earlier in the day, the police operatives were
already observing the five suspects right after they arrived
at the Integrated Bus Terminal in Dao.
Since
Monday morning police have confirmed the plan of the robbers
and even identified their regrouping area after the operation
near the bus terminal, Ingking said.
"Police
operatives just had to wait until the time they would carry
out their intention," according to Ingking. In fact,
he said, their surveillance teams reported that the suspects
surveyed their target (Bombay Bazaar) about two hours before
the actual robbery.
Police
did not wait for the suspects to carry out the robbery at
Bombay Bazaar considering the risk to its owner and personnel
since they already received information that one suspect was
carrying a grenade.
One
of the suspects, however, eluded arrest.
Right
after the arrest of the four suspects, police also conducted
a raid in Carmen town and was able to arrest one Leo Remorosa.
According
to Ingking, Remorosa is "a recognized godfather of robbers
in the province."
The arrest was undertaken by virtue of a search warrant issued
by Regional Trial Court (RTC) Executive Judge Fernando Fuentes
III.
Remorosa
was found in possession of a hand grenade, which was included
as object of the warrant. He is reportedly supplying firearms
to robbers here in the province, according to Ingking.
NOT
AN ORGANIZED ROBBERY GROUP
Ingking
said it is possible that the four suspects in custody do not
belong to an organized robbery group.
However,
the provincial police chief said there are certain groups
in other towns which could be working with the suspects, but
could not yet establish their link.
The
police chief said the success of arresting the four suspects
is part of the PNP's intensified intelligence against the
rising trend of robbery cases in the province.
SUSPECT
DENIES LINK IN OTHER ROBBERIES
Interviewed
over dyRD, one of the arrested suspects, Doria, an escapee
of the BDRC back in 2000 together with 4 others, denies any
involvement to a robbery group.
He
claimed he just came back to his hometown from Manila working
as bus conductor a few months ago and knew the other 4 suspects
in the past few days.
Doria
admitted that Bombay Bazaar was their target and the operation
was planned only a few days ago.
He
said their weapons were obtained in Bilar by one of their
cohorts, Maximo Yecyec.
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