Six rob suspects fall
By: KIT BAGAIPO
"Case is solved."Police provincial director SSupt. Edgardo Ingking declared as two remaining suspects in the midday holdup of a Bank of Commerce van last Tuesday have been arrested.
In a string of police operations all six robbers who staged the robbery and bloody shootout are now in police custody.
The shootout at the Bank of Commerce resulted in the death of security guard Remegio Cañizar and the wounding of two other guards Tirso Fullido and Meliton Lamoste and one of the suspects, Cresencio Reguya.
The police first apprehended a seriously wounded Reguya, 27, a resident of Magsaysay, Talibon, who was left behind, a few meters from the bank, after the shootout with the security guards.
In hot pursuit, police arrested on Tuesday night, barely six hours after the holdup, Casimiro "Meloy" Garcia, the alleged leader of the robbery group, his 17-year-old girlfriend and a slightly wounded Gelvin Reguya Nuez, 19.
The trio had just checked in at the Dumaluan Beach Resort when the resort's security guards noticed their presence since they were listening to the live marathon coverage over dyRD. This prompted them to call for police assistance.
A joint police team of Tagbilaran and Panglao PNP together with the resort's security men, collared the suspects in their rented cottage.
The girl was turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Garcia and Nuez are also residents of Magsaysay, Talibon.
The City PNP later arrested Sofronio Remoreras, a cousin of Garcia who drove the rented van that brought them to the Panglao resort owned by former Panglao Mayor Doloreich Dumaluan.
In another joint operation, Tagbilaran and Loay police arrested Thursday 10:45 p.m. Arsenio Polo alias Botyok, 24, in barangay Alegria, Loay.
The arrest led to the capture of one more suspect Gerardo "Al" Fuentes, 26, early Friday morning, in the same barangay. Polo and Fuentes are both residents of Sikatuna, Talibon.
The two were hiding in a secluded area where they had camped out, according to police.
SPO4 Asterio Quinio, Loay police chief, said in an interview with the Chronicle that "habal-habal" drivers informed them that Polo had been spotted in barangay Palo.
The police earlier received report that Meloy Garcia and his group met at the residence of one Teodula Auxtero in Alegria, Loay before the Tuesday heist.
Auxtero is a native of Talibon, the hometown of the suspects, Quinio said.
Police had placed the residence under surveillance since Tuesday after the robbery with the possibility that Polo and Fuentes might turn up there.
According to Quinio, the two suspects already returned at Auxtero's residence hours after the robbery but were not seen by police.
Fuentes, who did not know that Polo was arrested Thursday night, communicated with his accomplice through text messages which was already led by the police.
Polo later led Tagbilaran and Loay police to the location of Fuentes early Friday morning.
They arrived at the hideout when Fuentes just woke up. He did not resist arrest.
Recovered from Fuentes were two .38 caliber revolvers with ammunition including P4,000.
The two motorcycles which were used in the robbery were later recovered by police parked along M. Parras Street infront of Gallares Hospital, this city.
During initial interrogation, the two suspects admitted their participation in the Bank of Commerce robbery.
Polo also admitted to have participated in at least three robberies with Garcia.
In an interview with the Chronicle, Polo bared that after the holdup, he and Fuentes went to Loay and later met with Remoreras' brother, one "Longlong" Remoreras, who gave them P10,000 as initial share of their loot.
CHARGES SET
SSupt. Ingking said they will file robbery charges against Garcia, Polo, Fuentes, Reguya, Nuez and van-for-hire driver Remoreras.
The complicity of Garcia's girlfriend will still be determined, said City PNP chief C/Insp. Jacinto Cesar in a separate interview.
Meanwhile, Ingking clarified that Rodolfo "Dopong" Atega, who was arrested by a team of Cebu City police in San Miguel town last Wednesday was not part of the Tuesday robbery.
Ingking lauded the "extra-ordinary" cooperation of the community, which led to the arrest of the suspects.
WHO ATTACKED THE SUSPECTS?
It was a 10-man team of the City PNP that attacked the resort room where robbery boss Meloy Garcia and a cohort were hiding.
An account of the raid was made by members of the team in an interview with the Chronicle yesterday to finally end claims made by former Mayor Dumaluan.
The team members said it is not a matter of who should get the credit in the successful arrest of Garcia, a high-profile robber tagged in daring broad daylight robberies here and in Cebu City.
They said the former mayor insulted the police force when he said in interviews with regional newspapers and radio stations that it was his security men who pinned down Meloy Garcia and his wounded cohort.
Dumaluan claimed the policemen who went to his resort "had no proper briefing on what to do and lacked the know-how in crisis management."
The former mayor further said that it was his private security who led the arrest of the robbers as the police who responded to his resort were skeptical in barging into the rented room after they received information that the two were heavily armed.
However, City PNP responding team members led by Insp. Basiledes Balistoy countered that it was their group who led the assault.
THE ATTACK
SPO1 Lino Karaan and PO3 Jimboy Villapaz bared their team arrived at the beach resort shortly before 6 p.m. last Tuesday.
They reportedly received the tip from one of the resort's waiters that the suspects responsible in the Bank of Commerce holdup checked in at the resort.
The 10-man group arrived at the resort and was met by Dumaluan and his security who told them of the room's location.
Dumaluan requested the City police team that if they decide to storm the robbers, as much as possible it should be done without gunshots fired.
Garcia's girlfriend was already held by tourist police at the resort's restaurant where she ordered food.
According to Villapaz, their group split up into two teams, the first group was led by group leader Insp. Balistoy while he led the other team.
He said members of the Panglao tourist police were just securing the resort's guests and Dumaluan's family. Dumaluan security guarded the resort's premises.
When the group decided to raid the robbers' room, according to Villapaz, it took less than a minute to execute.
The City PNP team were pressured to carry out the raid quickly since it was already nightfall, a little past 6 p.m.
According to Villapaz and Karaan, it was SPO1 Reinerio Añana who crashed the room's door for them to gain entry.
Contrary to a statement made by Dumaluan that Garcia's wounded companion Gilben Nuez attempted to draw his 9-mm gun, Villapaz said the two robbers never had the chance to get near their weapons which was packed in a bag that was placed on a table away from the two.
The police team said if Dumaluan and his security men insist in claiming credit for the assault, then they should execute affidavits regarding their claim.
The City PNP team was composed of Balistoy, Karaan, Villapaz, SPO1 Añana, PO3 Yolando Bagotchay, PO1 Alberto Kudemus, PO2 Abraham Paeste, PO1 Sherwin Añora, PO2 Rey Calimbayan and one member of the Panglao tourist police.
REMAINING CASH
The team added that the actual cash held by Garcia and Nuez was only P33,000 and not P90,000 as claimed by Dumaluan.
The P90,000 was already split by Garcia after the robbery, a part of which was given to van driver Sofronio Remoreras who was allegedly tasked to divide it among the other suspects.
In a separate interview with the Chronicle, Garcia's other cohort Arsenio "Botyok" Polo admitted he was given P10,000 by the brother of Remoreras, identified only as "Longlong" Remoreras after the holdup.
According to resort personnel, Garcia and Nuez arrived at the resort separately.
The first to arrive in a V-hire driven by Remoreras was the wounded Nuez.
At around 5 p.m., Garcia and his girlfriend arrived aboard a tricycle and went to Nuez' room.
BUNGLED EXECUTION KILLED GUARD
Garcia said in an interview with the Chronicle that two of his companions in Tuesday's bank heist were new recruits.
He said Nuez and Fuentes were both "first timers" in terms of bigtime operations.
The inexperience of both led to the killing of security guard Remegio Cañizar.
Garcia narrated that Fuentes and Nuez were posted near the Bank of Commerce parking area where the van, carrying money from Unitop Department Store and DES Marketing for deposit, parked shortly before 12 noon Tuesday.
The two were supposed to snatch the firearms of the escort security guards before taking the money bags, said Garcia.
However, according to Garcia, the two panicked during the execution of their game plan which forced him to shoot and neutralize Cañizar.
Garcia, armed with an Ingram assault rifle, admitted he fired upon Cañizar who started to aim his shotgun at them.
THE LOOT
The robbers took away some P90,000 from Bank of Commerce teller Mabel Marie Real who was in the van with driver-security guard Noel Cajes.
Cañizar, 38, a resident of Habitat Village, this city, was hit in the head and left shoulder causing his immediate death.
Two other security men of the Bank of Commerce were also wounded identified as Mileton Lamoste, 30, single, resident of Mantacida, Catigbian town and one Tirso Fullido, 30, single, of Biking, Dauis town.
Suspect Reguya, a former CAFGU, was hit by a shotgun round at his back, which immobilized him, as he tried to flee together with his cohorts from the gunfight.
The three wounded were rushed to the Gov. Celestino Galleres Regional Hospital.
According to police, one of the bank security guards was able to take the other money bag inside the bank.
Garcia and Nuez fled the scene together and had lunch in a restaurant along lower B. Inting Street before hiring a van going to Panglao. The van is owned by Remoreras.
THE ARREST
Nuez was detected by Dumaluan Beach Resort security due to his bleeding gunshot wound at his right arm.
Garcia and his girlfriend reportedly asked the resort's reception if they could avail the services of a doctor apparently to treat the bleeding Nuez.
The resort security was monitoring the live coverage of the hold-up over station dyRD and immediately sought police assistance.
Recovered from Garcia and Nuez were one Ingram assault rifle with 3 fully loaded magazines, a fully loaded 9-mm handgun and P33,000.
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 single gunshot wound on his abdomen.
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.
The robbery group leader also admitted responsibility in the holdup of FCB Foundation employees, and Island City Mall and Petron gas station hold-ups.
The Garcia group is also responsible in the robbery of a gas station in Talibon town.
POLICE, MEDIA HAILED
The extraordinary cooperation of the police, the media and the general public earned praises after the successful arrest of the key suspects.
For three days of broadcast over dyRD after the robbery, calls commending the media and local police poured in from various sectors and officials.
This was highlighted during the monthly forum "Alarma" of the Bohol Tri-media Association (BTMA).
BTMA president Peter Dejaresco presided over the forum with Lito Responte of dyTR and Atoy Cosap of dyRD.
The BTMA also reviewed the role of journalists and broadcasters during emergencies and how to handle sensitive information and the risks of revealing ongoing police operations.
Dejaresco likewise expressed gratitude over the outpour of cash donations and pledges for the slain security guard's family and the two who were wounded, during a fund drive over dyRD.
As of presstime, dyRD gathered a total of P42,880 in cash donations.
END OF THE ROAD. The six suspects in the bank robbery at Bank of Commerce last Tuesday fall into the hands of the police, three of whom were wounded during a shootout with the bank's security guards, (l-r) Carmelo Garcia, Gelvin Nuez, Cresencio Reguya, while two others were nabbed in Loay last Thursday, Arsenio Polo and Gerardo Fuentes.. Foto DANNY REYES/WILLY MAESTRADO
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