Two of three in robbery of cooperative identified

Two of three men who robbed a cooperative firm in barangay Talamban two days ago have been identified already.

City Police director, Sr/Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, said yesterday that employees of the Natco Network People's Cooperative have positively identified the two men, through the rogue's gallery, as those who robbed the firm of P58,000 in cash and two cellular phones.

The cooperative employees were unable however to identify the third man who, at the time of the robbery, covered his face with a piece of cloth, Comendador said.

Comendador however declined to give the names of the two suspects lest they might run farther away but the police Theft and Robbery Section, headed by Sr/Insp. Alexis Relado, has released the sketches of their identities.

Relado said the employees' descriptions and statements about the robbers have matched the identities of the two men who were later found to have pending warrants of arrest for robberies one of which was linked to a bank heist a few months ago.

The two suspects have been involved in previous robbery incidents in Cebu City and in Metro Cebu, added Comendador without giving further details.

Comendador wanted his men to get these two men in two days or, if not, he would release to the public the full identity of these suspected robbers.

Investigators, basing on the accounts of the employees that the robbers were familiar on where the money was kept, have suspicion that the robbers might have contacts with an employee or a cooperative member.

Robbery groups usually get an "insider" to provide them details about a particular company and its establishment before striking, said Comendador.

The routine procedure of the members has been to let one of them pose first as customer of the establishment and, shortly after, the armed companions would barge in and quickly declare a hold-up catching the guards and employees flat-footed, he said.

To avert a similar robbery, Comendador had ordered police station chiefs to intensify the deployment of their beat patrols in their areas, with the help of members of the Mobile Patrol Group.

Meanwhile in the case of the robbery of a lending firm in Gorordo Avenue last January 2, the TRS has filed separately five charges against each of the two suspects.

The employees of the Yusay Credit and Finance Corporation positively identified Ronillo Nuñez, who was arrested in Danao City a few hours after the robbery.

Nuñez allegedly went to the firm that day for some documents and returned there in the afternoon, with Dorotheo Imperial, already armed to stage the robbery. They allegedly ran off with close to P50,000 in cash. Nuñez however denied the accusations. - Edwin Ian Melecio/RAE