Just as you thought that the series of robberies in Bohol was brought to an abrupt end after the Talibon hold up gang was neutralized when another one jolted the Tagbilaran populace only last Friday. At least five members of the notorious Meloy Garcia Robbery Gang were all captured in separate operations after they held up at gunpoint the Bank of Commerce, Tagbilaran branch last August 28.The hold-up resulted in the killing of one security guard and the wounding of three others including one of the robbery suspects. The end of robbery incidents in Bohol and capital city was shattered Friday afternoon when a collector of the Bohol Light Company Inc. (BLCI) lost P165,000 in cash and checks. He was held up at knifepoint.

The victim was identified as one Gerard Taoho, 29, married, a native of Asturias, Cebu and a BLCI collector-messenger. According to PO3 Menelio Sevilla, Tagbilaran PNP investigator, the victim, who is temporarily residing at Capitol Valley in Dao district, was riding his motorcycle carrying the bag containing the cash and P59,000 in checks. Taoho was on his way to the BLCI main office in Dampas from the firm's Capitol branch about 1:30 pm when the suspects struck. Upon reaching the corner of J.A. Clarin and Enerio streets, two men wearing safety helmets riding a motorcycle blocked the path of the messenger. One suspect disembarked from the motorcycle and aimed a bladed weapon at the neck of the victim. Out of fear, the victim immediately turned over the bag containing the cash to the suspect. The suspects took out the cash and left the bag before fleeing the scene of the hold-up.

Taoho reported the incident to the BLCI main office before he was accompanied to the Tagbilaran PNP station to report the incident. The incident was reflected in the police blotter past 4 pm since the victim was first brought to the hospital for treatment after he went pale and tripped at the police station. Police operatives are still investigating the incident to determine the identities of the suspect. Two days earlier, a fish vendor from Jagna identified as Felix Lata was also held up in Garcia-Hernandez. The incident took place about 8:30 am last Oct. 3 while the victim was peddling fish in Barangay Tabuan. Two men, armed with a caliber .38 and caliber .45 revolver respectively, accosted him and declared a hold-up. Lata, 29, married, said the suspects took off with about P5,000 cash from his possession. After the incident, the suspects immediately fled aboard a Honda XRM motorcycle. The Garcia-Hernandez PNP station has conducted follow-up operations after investigating the incident.