PNP eyes raps vs Pangasinan mayor

MANILA, Philippines - Police are determining what charges to file against Mayor Leoncio Saldivar Jr. of San Nicolas, Pangasinan, who has been linked to the Alvin Flores robbery gang.

Director Raul Castañeda, criminal investigation chief, said they have a statement of Saldivar where he admitted that he took care of Alvin Flores after he was wounded in an encounter with police during a heist in Metro Manila some months ago.

“We are still in the process of gathering hard evidence against him,” he said.

Castañeda said Saldivar’s admission that he took care of the wounded Flores in his house in San Nicolas town gives the impression that he has knowledge of the robberies perpetrated by the notorious gang.

“This group (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) is conducting follow up operations and investigations to draw a clear picture of the extent of knowledge and participation, if there is any, of Mayor Saldivar in the Rolex robbery incident and other robbery incidents perpetuated by the group of Alvin Flores,” he said.

Saldivar has denied involvement in the gang’s activities. Some gang members have allegedly worked as security escorts for the mayor, his father Janggo and uncle Angel.

NBI looking for sister

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) launched yesterday a manhunt for the sister of slain robbery gang leader Alvin Flores and four other suspects.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, NBI Director Nestor Mantaring said Merlinda Flores, alias Mailyn Villamor, Jay-R Saldivar, a relative of the mayor, and three other gang members remain at large.

Identifying herself as Mailyn Villamor, Merlinda Flores rented last October the house in Plaridel, Bulacan where NBI agents and police seized a cache of firearms last week, he added.

Mantaring said the car plates seized from the Alvin Flores hideout in Bulacan were used in different robberies, including those at Waltermart, Quezon City, San Jose del Monte, and Greenbelt 5 in Makati.

“Our investigation is continuing to identify the owners of the vehicles (on) which these plate numbers were used,” he said.

“Seized in the Bulacan raid were M203, 9mm rifle, M14, M16, shotguns, short firearms, two-way radios, bullet-proof vests, grenade launchers, Calico sub-machine guns, various other guns and ammunition, bolt cutters, hammers, and other construction tools.”

Mantaring said the serial numbers of the two-way radios are being checked with the National Telecommunications Commission, since these might have been stolen from a store or from security guards, he added.

The NBI will also check if the two-way radios were bought and by whom, and who used them, he added.

Ruel Lasala, NBI deputy director for intelligence services, said they are sharing information with the police for the capture of Merlinda Flores and the other suspects.

Arlene Miron, the owner of the house rented by the gang, will appear before the NBI to give a statement, he added.

Head agent Roel Bolivar, NBI Reaction, Arrest and Interdiction Division (RAID) chief, said various identification cards of Merlinda Flores, alias Mailyn Villamor, were seized from the gang’s hideout.

She has an outstanding warrant of arrest in Antipolo for robbery, he added.

Merlinda is believed to have prepared in the safehouse all the logistics, including the uniforms used by the gang.

The NBI has no information where Merlinda and Jay-R are hiding.

Meanwhile, the cellular phone of Alvin Flores was submitted to the NBI Anti-Fraud and Computer Crimes Division to try to retrieve the data stored in the phone, the NBI said.      — With Sandy Araneta