Probers face blank wall in bank rob

Three days after the Bogo branch of Land Bank of the Philippines was robbed of P9.4 million by 10 unidentified men, the police are still facing a blank wall in unmasking the identities of the perpetrators.

Investigators do not even have cartographic sketches of the robbers mainly because the cartographer could not be located. What they got so far was a theory that the robbers may have used local contacts.

Yesterday, provincial police intelligence chief Lemuel Obon raised the possibility of subjecting security guards Henry Cuerda and Rogelio Baterna to a polygraph test.

Authorities theorized that the robbery was a case of an inside job due to lapses in the bank's security. Today, Obon and Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Branch chief Paul Labra, who is helping in the investigation, will proceed to Bogo to gather details of the case.

Obon said a lot of things have to be taken into consideration. "There are so many questions that need to be answered," Obon said.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña, meanwhile, said he was not at all surprised with the robbery. Osmena described the bank as "the easiest bank to rob."

Osmeña said he has been warning the bank since the last robbery of its branch on P. del Rosario Street in August 2003, adding that the bank seems to have not made significant improvement in its security.

"I've been warning them...even boy scouts can rob the bank. They have been so negligent," Osmeña said.

He said he is concerned that the bank would blame the police for the incident when its own security guards need more training in handling firearms.

Regional police director Eduardo Gador said they have already warned bankers in Central Visayas not to relax after the arrest of suspected robbers Ruel Rey Torres and Danny Limotan.

Gador confirmed that the investigation would also focus on reports that cohorts of Limotan could be involved in the robbery to raise money to bail him out of jail.- Ryan P. Borinaga with Joeberth Ocao