Police arrested one of suspects in the robbery Monday evening of a health spa along Osmeña Boulevard which lost more than P10,000 cash and other valuable items.
The arrest was made after police received information pertaining to the group’s presence in sitio Maharlika in barangay Sambag Uno.
Supt. Henry Biñas, chief of the Fuente Police Station, in an interview with The FREEMAN, said the suspect, Joshua Bucog, 20, a resident of sitio Kawayan, barangay Sambag Uno, was positively identified by at least three witnesses.
Two of these witnesses have already executed an affidavit pointing Bucog as one of seven youngsters who robbed Ramil Cañete, the caretaker of D’Aviary Health Spa.
The robbers took cash proceeds worth P12,000, the wallet of Cañete with P2,000 cash, a computer monitor and its central processing unit, and four wall clocks from the establishment.
The police led by PO1 Dennis Mosqueda reportedly found a .38 caliber revolver with four live bullets in Bucog’s possession. The suspect, however, did not resist arrest.
Biñas said they already have a file of photographs of gang members under his jurisdiction and that Bucog is a member of Crips gang, the same group that robbed and killed graduating nursing student Ruby Jade Ruba few months ago in barangay Capitol Site.
Police claimed that they have already established the suspects’ participation in the heist.
“Ang presensya niya sa crime scene na-establish na as principal by direct participation,” Biñas said.
Bucog, when interviewed by The FREEMAN through his cell phone, denied the allegations and accused the police of planting evidence as he was not bringing any weapon at that time when he and two of his friends were called by the policemen.
He claimed that they were on their way to the Internet café to play games when the policemen called them up and warned them not to run. Out of respect for the lawmen, they reportedly raised their shirts up to show to them that they were not carrying weapons.
He said they were then taken to the police station as the police reportedly received reports that he was among the suspects in the spa robbery.
His two companions were allowed to go home while he was booked after being positively identified by a witness. – Edwin Ian Melecio/MEEV