By Kit BagaipoA series of daring highway robberies and burglaries has alarmed police last week. The latest victim of highway hold-uppers was a manager of Lhuillier Pawnshop where 4 still unidentified armed robbers took off with P200,000 of collection money from the victim last Thursday around 3:30 p.m.
The victim, one Rizalde Autida, a resident of barangay Camambugan, Ubay town, manager of Lhuillier Pawnshop, was on his way to Trinidad town aboard a passenger jeepney with 3 other commuters and driven by one Junkie Quizon, a resident of barangay Balintawak, Talibon town, when three of the four suspects flagged down the jeepney along the highway in barangay San Agustin, Trinidad.
Unknown to the victims, one of the suspects already boarded the passenger vehicle from Talibon en route to Trinidad and Ubay town.
According to police, the suspect already on board held the passengers at gunpoint, took the collection money while the three others blocked the passenger jeepney aboard a SYM motorcycle.
The four hold-uppers, not wearing anything to hide their identities, were allegedly armed with a .38 caliber pistol, a .45 revolver and an Ingram assault rifle, the victims said.
The driver's P200 was also taken by the robbers.
Yesterday, after a hot pursuit operation and investigations that was personally supervised by Bohol PNP Director SSupt. Edgardo Ingking, cartographic sketches of two suspects was released.
The sketches were based on description given by the victims.
GETAFEIn another incident, two armed hold-uppers victimized a van-for-hire driver and his four passengers taking away a total of P9,700, a gold necklace and a cellular phone.
A quick police response, however, netted one of the suspects who were waiting for a passenger vehicle right after the robbery.
The van driver was identified as one Panfilo Dumadag, 34, resident of barangay Pook Oriental, Carmen town, was transporting his four passengers towards Tubigon when the two suspects boarded the v-hire in barangay San Jose, Getafe and later pointed their .38 caliber handguns declaring a hold-up.
The incident took place around 3:30 pm along the national highway in barangay San Jose, Getafe, but when the two robbers got off the van, the victims immediately called for police help.
The two robbers were identified as one Dindo Betagansu y Tradio, 18, of barangay Nueva Montaña, Buenavista town and his cohort identified as on Roel Ceniza, a resident of barangay Lubang, also of Buenavista.
Betagansu was nabbed by Getafe police while Ceniza was able to elude arrest.
Betagansu is now detained at the Getafe PNP lock-up jail while police are still looking for Ceniza.
BALILIHANA collector of Golden Dust Marketing identified as one Kevin Rosales y Bonsay, 23, resident of San Roque, Balilihan, was aboard his Honda XRM motorcycle when a tandem of armed motor-riding robbers accosted him along the national highway of Balilihan last Monday.
One of the suspects reportedly aimed a gun at Rosales and took his collection money in the amount of P28,000 with the victim's cellular phone.
The Balilihan PNP is still investigating the incident.
CARMENIn Carmen town, two separate incidents of highway robbery victimized a habal-habal driver and another motorist.
Last Monday, a motorist identified as one Marcial Villasquina, 23, resident of Poblacion Sur, Carmen town, was on his way to barangay Malinao of the same town when another motorcycle rider armed with .38 caliber pistol blocked his path along the highway declaring a hold-up.
The victim's P600 and cellular phone was taken by the still unidentified suspect.
In another incident, habal-habal driver Nonito Lumod y Tahod, 22, resident of barangay Monte Swerte of said town together with his backrider, one Roberto Jumawid y Maligmat, 47, resident of barangay Cansumbol, Bilar town were on their way to Bilar last June 17 around 3 a.m. when they were felled by a rope tied-up across the highway.
When both driver and passenger were down on the pavement, three unidentified armed men approached them and declared a hold-up.
The robbers took off a total of P5,700 and a cellular phone owned by the two victims.
BUENAVISTAMeanwhile, two instructors of Central Visayas State College of Agriculture, Forestry and Technology (CVSCAFT) Buenavista Campus were also victimized by two still unidentified robbers while attending a disco party during the town fiesta of Buenavista.
The victims were identified Lucas Degamo, 38 and Arnel Bautista, 30, both residents of Dait Norte, of said town.
According to police, the two instructors were "texting" in a dark portion of the disco area when the two hold-uppers pointed a knife them and asked for their cellular phones.
The two suspects left with the victims' three cellular phones using a Yamaha RS100 motorcycle as their getaway vehicle.
These series of street crimes has prompted SSupt. Ingking to create a special response team.
In fact, the PNP Bohol is now recruiting policemen who qualify to train with a new Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team organized by SSupt. Ingking.
(The Bohol Chronicle, June 24, 2007)
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