A daring robbery in band pulled off in broad daylight in a busy part of Tagbilaran City Square along B. Inting St. has police investigators facing a blank wall because the perpetrators were no amateurs, this according to Senior Supt. Constantino Paul Barot, Jr., provincial director of the Philippine National Police Bohol Office. Although they have local links as fingers, Supt. Barot suspected the group which victimized the Oro China Pawnshop and Hollywood General Merchandize as having connections with the dreaded Alferez (Hoyohoy) Group. Claiming to have links with The Kuratong Baleleng Group in Ozamis, the Alferez Group is known for specializing in pawnshops.

The same group was traced by investigators to have used the same modus in breaking the showcases used in the display of jewelries and rematados of Oro Sugbu in Cebu in 2008 and an Oro China branch in Bacolod. They are all branches of Oro China. In their operations, the suspects barged into the pawnshop while its about to open and broke the enclosed glass with jewelries in display. Also known as Martilyo Gang for their propensity in using hammers in breaking glass enclosures, the gang is known of their modus in Manila and Cebu. It was the first time in Bohol that a Martilyo Gang struck and made good with by substantial loot in precious metals like jewelries. In the City Square caper, while the security guard while tending to other concern, the eight men, without wearing any face masked, broke into the store and in military precision carted away the jewelries on display.

TAGBILARAN IN SHOCK

As the daring robbery left Tagbilaran in a state of shock, concerned citizens were asking why robbers had become so bold as they can accord to pulled off a stake out right in the heart of commerce and industry. The place of the crime is an array of stores mostly selling general merchandize. Two pawnshops are located near each other. A Bombay store, the Hollywood General Merchandize was not spared by the robbers when one of them spotted its owners to have wore an expensive necklace believe to cost about P80,000. Without much ado, one of the robbers grabbed the necklace, leaving the owner in a state of shock.

UNCOOPERATIVE

While the robbery was on its fourth day, police investigators are still tracking for leads to capture the suspects. In an update yesterday made by Col. Barot, he said the culprits already made a clean getaway and they have no idea where they are now. He said one thing certain: they are no longer here. Certain that they are from outside Bohol possibly Cebu or Cagayan de Oro. Supt. Barot lamented the uncooperative attitude of the victims. This explains why until now, police are still at a loss figuring out how much was lost in the heist as nobody from Oro China management came forward to report how much was carted away by the suspects. Barot said with this kind of uncooperative attitude, police have a hard time getting affidavits from victims to support the filing of cases. While the police are trying to break the case for at least any lead as to the perpetrators, Supt. Barot announced the relief of Supt. Gil del Prado, city police chief. The reason cited for the relief was the failure of the police chief to concentrate the deployment of police personnel in crowded places.

Supt. Barot said it was a typical case of police failure to secure measures to prevent crime from being committed in busy areas. While Supt. Barot was trying to impose sanctions on erring policemen to prevent precedents to happen in the future, City Vice-Mayor Jas Tirol-Montes, who is acting city mayor, reportedly balked at the idea of axing del Prado. She lamented in her radio program yesterday that “no consultation” not even a text, “out of courtesy” with the city officials by Camp Dagohoy leadership under Col. Barot in relieving Del Prado as a matter of protocol. P/Insp Adriano Bacus of the city PNP confirmed in an interview that Del Prado was relieved after the heist. After that, he was designated as acting chief of police and then he was replaced by PSInp Abe Tumpak. The Del Prado relief was taken during the City Peace and Order Council meeting last week, just days following the robbery, she said. The lady vice-mayor said that the relief of Del Prado looks like a big blow to the police force in the city where it is less than what ought to be. Right now, she said, the city PNP has only 50 police personnel, which should have been an ideal of about 100 or more in this city. Four of the city police force were detailed to the politicians whom she did not name and five are into “schooling” and some are “retirables.” So, police personnel in the city is really insufficient for a growing population like Tagbilaran City, she said.

She also scored on the management of the Oro China Jewelry and pawnshop why it is reluctant or refused to access the CCTV it mounted inside the shop, saying that “time is of the essence” in running after the robbery suspects. Asked if the owner/management of the jewelry store could be charged in court, Montes said it could be but it should be studied well. Meanwhile, P/Insp Adriano Bacus revealed in an interview that only one of the five of the CCTV functioned at the time of the robbery. He said that the CCTV in operations at the time of the crime showed only the back of the robbers but the other four CCTVs did not work. But he confirmed they have already initial “identities” of the suspects in a cartographic sketches. Police probers are still looking other angles of the robbery, including sources of the rented motorcycles to determine who really are responsible for the robbery. In a visit of the crime scene right after the robbery, a policeman investigating said that the Oro China management refused to give the password of their CCTV gadgets. Some of the eight unidentified suspects ransacked in broad day light the Oro China Pawnshop and Jewelry and a nearby appliance Hollywood Bazaar housed at City Square along B. Inting Street in this capital city in lightning speed of about three minutes, said the police based on witnesses account. The eight suspects fled in three XRM motorcycles in three different directions.