Gov’t: Destabilization won’t succeed; bank robbery part of plot

Destabilization by heist or other means will not work to uninstall the Arroyo administration.

The President reassured the Filipino people yesterday that the strong economic fundamentals and political stability of the country would make efforts to destabilize the government futile.

She based her reassurances on the 4.5 percent growth rate in the country’s gross national product (GNP), while neighboring countries have seen negative economic growth.

"The economy is doing relatively well, (with a) 4.5 percent GNP growth rate for the second quarter. As far as I’ve seen, (our) official (growth) statistics (have) only been surpassed by China and Malaysia," the President said.

"With calm and vigilance from you, our leaders and citizens, we shall weather this storm and bring back the good weather (through) the excellence and resilience of Filipinos," she said.

The President made this statement even as Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina Jr. branded as a destabilization move last Monday’s daring daylight heist of the Citibank Center in Makati City’s central business district .

Lina told Camp Crame reporters yesterday that a criminal act, such the robbery at Citibank Center, could also be constitute a destabilization move.

He said the robbery took place at 3:35 p.m., when the bank vault, which is protected by a time-delay lock, is closed at 3 p.m.

The 15 heavily armed robbers then fled with only a small amount of cash, as most of the bank’s cash is kept inside the vault, he added.

Lina asked why a group of armed men acting with precision would rob a bank in the middle of the Makati CBD only to make off with a small amount of cash. "What was the objective? Get the money, or embarrass the government?" he asked.

He added that the three-minute heist, complemented by the acoustic firing of guns was what the robbers needed to stage their destabilization effort.

"The robbery only took three minutes," Lina said. "What was their purpose? Just to put the country in chaos. Make it appear there is disorder and chaos and that this government is unable to respond. Clearly, that was a destabilization effort. But (some) suspects have already been identified and the solution is forthcoming."

Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. agreed with Lina that the robbers merely fired their guns for effect, rather than to shoot anyone.

However, Ebdane added that the robbers, believed to be members of the notorious Kuratong Baleleng robbery gang, also engaged members of a prowl car in a brief shootout, but apparently did not intend to harm the responding lawmen.

During the firefight, a non-commissioned Navy officer was hit in the thigh and had to be rushed to the hospital.

Luckily, the lawmen were beside an armored van when the suspects opened fire on them. It was also observed that the robbers intended to shoot only the police officers in the prowl car.

Police recovered 55 spent shells at the crime scene.

Meanwhile, Ebdane admitted that police could have been lax in implementing measures that could have prevented the Citibank heist.

To ensure that the problem of bank robberies in the Makati business district, where most bank headquarters are located, is controlled if not eradicated, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) will field 80 crack Special Action Force (SAF) personnel in the area, who will conduct police visibility and patrol operations.

Besides safeguarding banks, the elite SAF personnel will be working in teams of eight to direct and manage and vehicular traffic and protect foreign embassies and tourists in the Makati business district.

"We are putting up a special police presence in Makati," Ebdane said. "This will cater to the nagging problems in the area, including bank robbery, the safety of tourists, the safety of embassies and, in coordination with the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the management of the traffic situation in that area."

"This should have been done earlier," he admitted, "but there were other matters that have had to be attended to."

According to PNP community relations chief Director Ricardo de Leon, the 80 SAF personnel assigned to patrol the Makati business hub will be under the operational control of the NCRPO.

These police specialists will also be performing anti-terrorism operations, de Leon said.

Meanwhile, Southern Police District Director, Chief Superintendent Jose Gutierrez Jr., said there are no "indicators" yet that the Citibank robbery in Makati City was politically motivated.

However, Gutierrez admitted that one of the identified suspects in the heist, Randel Llanos, was reportedly part of the Kuratong Baleleng gang and that, because of this, it is easy to drag politics into the picture. — Marichu Villanueva, Mike Frialde, Nikko Dizon