5 to share bank massacre reward

MANILA, Philippines – Five witnesses, including three teenagers, would share the P2-million reward money for the solution of the bloody Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) branch robbery in Cabuyao, Laguna last May 16.

Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr., Laguna police director, said the five witnesses played key roles in the solution of the robbery wherein the robbers killed eight bank employees, a security guard and a representative of a depositor.

Rojas said one of the teenagers saw a suspect shooting at a woman employee while another saw security guard Joel de la Cruz inside the bank.

The police refused to give more details to keep the identities of the five witnesses secured for their safety.

Rojas admitted that the five witnesses are under the custody of Task Force RCBC in Camp Vicente Lim in Calamba City.

The RCBC robbery was discovered when depositors who went to the bank were alarmed when the establishment was still closed at 10 a.m.

Responding policemen forcibly opened the bank, and found the victims dead with gunshot wounds in their heads.

Rojas said the inventory by bank management revealed that the robbers escaped with P9 million in cash.

Calabarzon police director Chief Superintendent Ricardo Padilla said the RCBC management offered a P1 million reward for any information leading to the solution of the robbery, the worst to hit the country in years.

Laguna Gov. Teresita Lazaro and Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. contributed P100,000 each while friends of the Calabarzon police promised P800,000.

Padilla said they are still in the process of determining who would receive the reward money.

Rojas said Task Force RCBC would meet on Tuesday in Camp Vicente Lim to spearhead efforts to collect the reward pledges. “We intend to write a formal letter to those concerned to release the reward money so it could be distributed to the five witnesses,” said Rojas.

He surmised that the three teenagers would receive the main bulk of the reward money for playing the key roles in identifying the bank robbers.

“Each of the five witnesses would receive their share of the reward money but the three teenagers would surely get the large share because their first-hand information led us to the suspects,” said Rojas.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) declared the RCBC robbery closed after criminal charges were filed against former Army soldier Ricardo Gomolon, security guard De la Cruz and Jesus Narvaez, the alleged driver of the suspect’s getaway vehicle.

Provincial state prosecutor Frisco Marfil recommended no bail against the three suspects, who were charged with robbery with multiple homicide.

However, the three suspects denied involvement in the crime.

At least five suspects were killed in follow-up operations in Tanauan, Batangas and Calamba City.

Among those killed was Montano Tolentino, the leader of a locally based robbery group.