By STEPHEN C. CAGULADA

Tourists who were robbed in Panglao and Dauis towns have always described to the police that it was a Japanese-looking guy who had robbed them at gunpoint. Now, after months of surveillance, police have solved the puzzle in the series of robberies in Panglao victimizing exiting foreign tourists. Louie Kenchie Cubar was finally arrested at his rented enclave in Barangay Tawala, Panglao yesterday by the combined elements of Panglao Police Station, Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB), Dauis Police Station, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) led by PSInspt Jacinto Mandal, chief of Panglao PNP station. Cubar's arrest came after a successful buy-bust operation conducted by police operatives as early as 5:28 a.m. yesterday.

When police were about to arrest Cubar, he fired at the law enforcers using his revolver pistol, bit his gun malfunctioned. He was eventually handcuffed by the police. Upon search, police seized from Cubar several packs of shabu, drug paraphernalia and cash believed to be proceeds from drug sale. Cubar was accompanied by his alleged girlfriend, whom police identified as Ma. Daphne Magsayo Corpus, 26. It was Corpus who divulged to the police that more guns and drugs were being kept at the vicinity of the house. The revelation came at the prodding of Supt. Joie Pacito Yape Jr., police community relations head at the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO). Yape arrived in Tawala with a group of mediamen. Police then recovered one more .357 magnum caliber pistol and .45 short gun with live bullets and three magazines.

Senior Supt. Dennis Palo Agustin, Bohol PNP director, who personally supervised the operation in Tawala, lauded his men for putting an end to Cubar's robbery spree. “This guy has ruined the tourism image of Bohol as he had victimized many foreign tourists,” Agustin said. “With his arrest, matapos na ang maraming robbery/hold-up dito sa Panglao at Dauis area.” “Tourists coming to Panglao and Dauis can now heave a sigh of relief ngayon na na-arrest na ang isang notorious na robber,” Agustin noted. Mandal told media that Cubar was operating with illegal tour guides who would tip off the suspect regarding foreign tourists who were on their way to Tagbilaran pier or airport. “Tanan sa mga biktima sa tulis padulong na mouli balik sa ilang nasod,” Mandal said, adding that “gi-timing ni sa suspect aron dili na maka-file ug complain ang turista nga pauliay na ug wala nay time sa pag-blotter.” But still, six foreign nationals were able to put on blotter their traumatic experience. All victims had described the robber as “Chinese and Japanese-looking man.”

Cubar is reportedly a son of a Japanese national. Mandal also described Cubar as a “level 2” drug lord, who operates in Panglao and Dauis area. Meanwhile, on the same day, Cubar's uncle, whom police identified as Randy Cubar Cimafranca, was also arrested by a separate combine police operatives through a buy-bust operation in Barangay Doljo, Panglao. Confiscated from Cimafranca was the P500 marked money bill, a sachet of shabu, and drug paraphernalia. Both uncle-nephew drug lord tandem are now languishing at Panglao lock-up jail pending filing of various criminal cases.