Gunmen point to caterer's daughter-in-law

CEBU, Philippines - Two men who tried to rob the owner of a well-known caterer were formally charged with robbery with frustrated homicide yesterday before the Cebu City Prosecutor's Office yesterday.

But suspects, Sim Abordo and Roldan Ranolo from Sultan Kudarat province in Mindanao, named the daughter-in-law of couple Ernesto and Maria Lina Mier, owner of Maria Lina Catering Services, as the one behind the attack.

Ernesto, in an interview also said that based on the texts messages in the suspect's cellphone, it would appear that he and his wife are the targets.

"Patyon gyud mi mao na based sa text messages kay sobra kaayo ka detalyado ang amoang whereabouts. We suspect nga insider ang mastermind," the husband said.

But 25-year-old Kurt, the couple’s son is confident that his wife has nothing to do with the attempt on his parents’ lives.

"We are in good terms with my wife. Di ko motoo anang pasangil sa mga suspects," the son said.

The suspects were caught with the victim’s bag and a gun containing seven live ammunitions and a cellular phone. The police also seized the get-away motorcycle, a Honda Wave with plate numbers GS-3669, from the two.

They went through inquest proceedings and signed a waiver of detention yesterday.

In an interview, victim Maria Lina Mier presented a medical certificate showing she sustained lacerations and multiple contusions from last Sunday’s attack.

One of the suspects claimed that he was just an "agaw-bag" robber and had no intention of killing anyone.

In a related story, two men robbed a salesman and then went to rob an establishment last Monday afternoon in Sanson Road, Barangay Lahug, Cebu City.

The robbers, using a black motorcycle, first robbed 51-year-old Arnold Vidal who was standing at the roadside around 3:30 p.m. that day waiting for his delivery boys.

Vidal, a resident of Barangay Tisa and salesman of a softdrinks company, told the police that the two stopped right beside him. A man then alighted from the motorcycle and robbed him at gunpoint.

The man took the P10,000-cash from his pocket while the other one served as back-up.

After the hold-up, the victim saw the robbers boarded their motorcycle with plate numbers 6598. He failed to get the prefix of the plate numbers.

He also saw the two stopping at the RS Petron Gasul dealer and robbed its employees before driving towards Salinas Drive.

Carlo Magno Bravo, the cashier of the LPG tank dealer, reported that one of the robbers approached him and pointed a caliber .45 pistol at him. The other man demanded for the money.

They took P1,796 cash from him, his cellular phone and assorted keys.

Bravo, a resident of Laguerta, Lahug, described one of the robbers as about 5”7 tall and wearing a bonnet while the other one was about 5”5 tall. Both wore black jackets and black maong pants.

Personnel from the Mobile Patrol Group escorted both victims towards the police station to report the incident. – (FREEMAN)