Two rob suspects arrested

CEBU, Philippines – Two alleged notorious robbers operating in Metro Cebu were arrested by the elements of the Mandaue City Police Office Investigative and Detective Management Bureau led by its chief Insp. Ramil Morpos in barangay San Jose, Cebu City.

Benjamin Ycong, 29, and Rolando Basirgo, 32, were arrested separately last Sunday evening.

Both are also accused of killing Erwin Bernard Macasaet, alias "Paks" of Sitio Common, barangay Bacayan, Cebu City, last Friday evening in Barangay Tawason, Mandaue City.

Recovered from Basirgo during his arrest was a .45 cal. pistol believed to have been used to shoot Macasaet.

Both Basirgo and Ycong were arrested after Macasaet's live-in partner informed police that the night before her partner was gunned down he told her that he, Ycong and Basirgo were on their way to rob an Internet café in Barangay Cubacub.

However, the robbery did not push through after Macasaet and the other two argued over how the loot would be split. Basirgo and Ycong reportedly brought Macasaet to barangay Tawason instead where they allegedly killed him.

The live-in partner also told police that Macasaet is wanted in his hometown in Bukidnon and was also involved in several robberies in Cebu City, Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City.

During a follow-up operation last Saturday, Ycong was arrested around 8 p.m. in Sitio Boljo, barangay San Jose, Cebu City, while Basirgo was arrested in Purok 5, barangay San Jose, around 10:30 p.m.

Police said Ycong helped notorious drug pusher and robbery group leader Joel "Tongol" Nodalo escape from the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center in 2003.

He was also arrested in 2009 for illegal possession of firearm.   Ycong was also positively identified as one of the three suspects who robbed Boston Hardware in Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City, last October 30.

A witness reported seeing Ycong and two other men put on bonnets shortly before the hardware was robbed.

A woman who went to see Ycong detained at the Subangdaku police station yesterday afternoon also positively identified him as the one who took her bag containing P500 cash and a Nokia cellular phone while she was walking along Plaridel St. in barangay Looc, Mandaue City, last Friday.

Although he was positively identified in several robberies in Mandaue City, Ycong said he only operated in Cebu City.   Basirgo also denied being involved in robberies but admitted to have killed Macasaet.

Basirgo, the younger brother of Cebu City police official and the son of a non-uniformed personnel of the Cebu City Police Office, was just released from jail after a murder case filed against him was dismissed.

The MCPO is inviting robbery victims and witnesses, particularly of the Boston Hardware robbery, the Banco Maximo robbery last October 21 and the LBC robbery last October 16 to come forward and positively identify the suspects. -/BRP (FREEMAN)