Two attendants were brutally killed by still unidentified robbers, who carted away almost P200,000 during a dawn heist of a proceeds of a gasoline station in Poblacion, Liloan town.
The fatalities were identified as Erwin Pacatan, 19, of Batuan, Bohol and Junnie Andicoso, 16, of Canduman, Mandaue City. They worked at RSS Gas Station in sitio Looc.
Pacatan was shot on the head while Andicoso was stabbed several times on different parts of his body.
The security guard on duty, Junrey Tizon, also suffered several stab wounds and injured his head. He is now undergoing treatment at the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.
From the initial investigation, it was learned that when the robbers came, they immediately hit the unsuspecting security guard on the head using a blunt object then stabbed him several times.
The two pump attendants, who were then at the office, were attacked by the robbers. Pacatan was shot using the shotgun that the robbers took from the guard while Andicoso was stabbed.
A third pump boy luckily survived the ordeal with nary a scratch, but the police are now holding him for questioning. He was identified as Jose Kelly Quimson. The police suspect his involvement.
“Impossible kaayo sa tulo nila nga natug siya (Quimson) ra ang wa maunsa. Unya suweto kaayo ang mga tulisan sa pagsud. I-hold namo ni siya (Quimson) kay duda mi nga inside job ni,” (It is impossible that among the three who were sleeping only he (Quimson) was not hurt. Then the robbers knew how to get in. We will hold him for questioning, because we doubt his innocence) Liloan police chief Ramon Ortiz said.
Police authorities also noticed the CCTV cameras were turned off at the time of the heist.
The robbers reportedly immediately went to the vault on the room adjacent to the unfinished office and took the money.
Quimson claimed that he was not hurt during the heist as he managed to hide under the bed during the carnage.
“Nakamata nako sir nga dunay kasikas sa gawas unya gisud mi sa mga tulisan ug gipangpusil. Wa intawon ko maapil ana sir kay nakatago man ko sa ilawon sa katre,” (I was awaken by the commotion outside and then the robbers went inside our room and fired at us. I have no involvement in the crime because I was able to hide under the bed) Quimson said.
The robbers reportedly used a wrench to pry the vault open taking an estimated P200,000.
The Scene of Crime Operatives (SOCO) were able to recover P3,237 inside the vault.
Jane Sotellon, cashier of the gas station, said that there are six employees of the station owned by Roland Sanoria family, but only the three pump attendants were there when the incident happened.
Solve This, Quick
Liloan Mayor Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco yesterday directed the town police chief to fast track the investigation as he wants a quick solution of the case.
The mayor called the town police chief yesterday to brief him about the incident.
The crime greeted the mayor, who just arrived from a three-week vacation to the United States.
“I was briefed by the Chief of Police Ortiz of the incident and I was both shocked and appalled by the gravity of the crime. I have instructed Ortiz to exert all efforts to finding out exactly what happened to arrest all liable for the crime,” Mayor Frasco said in a text message to The Freeman. – with Jose P. Sollano/NLQ