Published in January 2005 in the Bohol Chronicle
The strings of robberies in the province were virtually solved with the arrest of four, out of the five, top robbery personalities operating in municipalities during the past two months.
An alert response team from the Philippine National Police (PNP) cornered the suspects during a hot pursuit operation from Talibon town to a hinterland barangay in San Miguel town last Saturday.
PNP Prov'l Director Sancho Bernales identified the four robbery personalities as Rosalio Vergara alias "Salle," 46, an escapee from the Sablayan Prison Penal Farm in Mindoro Occidental; Eutiquio Apaap Jr., alias "Junior Apaap," 36; Ruben Montemayor alias "Kokoy," 27, and Ruel Bon, 31.
The four were nabbed after victimizing businessman Baltazar Apondar Jr. of barangay San Jose, Talibon town.
Vergara who was convicted for robbery hails from San Miguel, Lanao del Norte but resides in Nueva Fuerza, Carmen town and likewise claims residence at V. Rama St., in Cebu City. Apaap who is convicted for murder has been wanted by the police. He is a native of Canggawa, Buenavista town but resides in Taloto district, this city. Montemayor, convicted for illegal possession of firearm, is a native of San Miguel town, while Bon is a robbery suspect residing in Poblacion, Bien Unido town.
Seized from the suspects were .45 caliber pistol with 11 live ammunitions; two snubnose caliber .38 revolver with five live ammos; and cash worth P1,030.
The hot pursuit operation led by Talibon police chief, Senior Inspector Antonietto Cuyos, was backed up by the San Miguel PNP under Police Inspector Felicito Garcia Sr. The suspects were caught with their Honda 125cc and Suzuki X3 motorcycles which they used in their get-away route.
Gov. Erico Aumentado announced the arrest of the four robbery personalities over DYRD's "Inyong Alagad" last Monday. He asked Bernales to fascilitate the gathering of robbery victims in order to identify if these arrested persons were the perpetrators in the other robberies including Baclayon Mayor Benny Uy who was hogtied together with his wife last week.
Bernales told the Chronicle that the fifth suspect who managed to escape is now the object of a massive manhunt.
The group was placed under surveilance since after they were reported to victimize residents in the towns. Police noted the upsurge of their activities following the death of robbery suspect Eduardo Pojas, an escapee of the Bohol Detention and Rehabilitation Center (BDRC) who was allegedly gunned down while trying to slip from the escorting team on the way back to the BDRC last year.
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