There's no question they were handiworks of local boys. But Provincial Police Director Rudolfo Llorca, in a radio interview, saw a more sinister angle. The local boys are under training by the dreaded Kuratong Baleleng for possible big-time operations in the Big City. This possibility was aired by the top provincial cop in the wake of a series of robberies pulled off in Panglao island the past weeks. The latest to fall prey to highway robbery was a Polish national last Thursday. While on her way to the Alona beach from this city, Natalia Piechowiak y Weronika, of legal age and a Polish national was on board a motor cab when men aboard a motorcycle motioned them to stop along the Dao highway in Dauis town. The driver identified as Jade Vallejos y Sayson, married of San Vicente, Maribojoc town stopped the motorcab after the two men riding in tandem sidled up and asked him to stop.

Brandishing a gun, one of the men poked his firearm to the driver and in no time grabbed the belongings of his passenger. The faces of the two men were covered. The ensuing stick up resulted in the foreigner giving in to the demand of the suspects. Among those carted away from the victim were a Macbook Apple laptop valued at 800 pounds; Nokia 5800 Mobile phone valued at 200 pounds; a rectangular purse with 1,000 HK dollars; 50 euros; P150.00 and other personal belongings. After the incident, the management of Dream Native Resort in Dao, Dauis offered temporary shelter to the victim. The driver was taken to the police station for questioning for possible complicity in the hold up. The suspects then fled in the direction of Dauis town proper.

Meanwhile, another robbery with attempted homicide took place on July 29 in Poblacion Panglao victimizing an Italian national and his Filipina wife. The robbery happened when two bonnet-wearing men robbed the residence of the Italian identified as Angelo Chiocchio, 75, and his wife Cresencia, 59, of Poblacion, Panglao. Forcing their way through an unfinished part of the house's kitchen, the suspects pointed a gun to the foreigner and when he resisted shot him in the chin. While inside, the suspects divested from the victims jelweries and other valuables of undetermined value. After the robbery, the suspects exited the residence using the same entrance when they entered the house.

The victim who suffered a gunshot wound in the face was rushed to the Ramiro Community Hospital, in this city, where he is now recuperating. Interviewed yesterday to confirm his radio revelation, Supt. Llorca said it was possible that the Kuratong Baleleng played a key role in the two robberies. The police theorized that a Kuratong member who is a Boholano is forming his own group in Bohol in preparation for big capers in Manila. This information was based on intelligence report his office received from the field. The Boholano Kuratong must have cooled his heels in Bohol while authorities are hot on their trails in their area of operations in Mindanao.