Cops identify robber of Minglanilla bank

Police have identified one of the two men who robbed the Rural Bank of Bacong in Minglanilla town Wednesday afternoon.

During a press conference yesterday, Cebu Provincial Police Office director Carmelo Valmoria, however, refused to divulge the name of the robber as this could hamper their ongoing operation.

The bank's employees positively identified the robber after the police showed to them pictures of notorious robbers in Cebu. Valmoria also said although the robbers were not local boys, he believed that they are still in Cebu.

Police said aside from the two robbers who barged into the bank, another robber was outside serving as a lookout.

Valmoria created Task Force Bacong headed by Provincial Intelligence Branch chief Supt. Juanito Enguerra. Elements from the Theft and Robbery Sections of Lapu-Lapu City, Minglanilla and Talisay City compose the task force.

Enguerra said the identified robber was already arrested in the past, adding that they are now exerting all efforts to arrest him.

With the recent robbery, Valmoria urged bank owners in the province to detail at least two security guards in their establishments. He said one guard should be detailed outside the bank while the other should be tasked to frisk clients making any transactions.

Valmoria explained that most banks, especially in the towns, are already familiar with their clients that security guards are no longer frisking them. But he said those unfamiliar faces should be frisked so that any planned robbery inside the bank could be prevented.

He, however, stressed that he cannot force rural banks to install an alarm system since most of them are not members of the Cebu Banker's Club. But he said he would request for the installation of alarm system of these banks so police can immediately respond during robbery.

Valmoria said he is planning to distribute to the different banks photos of notorious robbers so that they can be immediately detected.

Valmoria, who personally conducted the investigation, said he was glad that bank manager Romeo Vernil was cooperative in immediately providing them with all the information on the incident.

Aside from the bank robbery on that day, two robbery incidents also happened in the cities of Toledo and Danao involving motorcycle-riding men. Because of the series of robberies, Valmoria said he decided to deploy police detectives in selected areas prone to robberies.

He said just like those secret marshals deployed by the regional police office months ago, these police detectives will also board public utility vehicles in civilian clothes. - Flor Z. Perolina/LPM