Rob group member shot, cohorts held

CEBU, Philippines - A man was shot yesterday dawn after he and three accomplices robbed passengers of a multicab in barangay Tabunok, Talisay City.

The Police in Talisay City have theorized that the same group was responsible for the other robberies carried out in the same area less than an hour earlier.

Police identified the wounded as Rolando Sanchez, of legal age and resident of sitio Mananga, Tabunok.

Sanchez, who sustained a wound on the right thigh, was taken to the government-run Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City by accomplices Juanito Belamia, 23, and two boys aged 14 and 17 years old.

Police said that at 11:45 p.m. Monday, the robbers, armed with a homemade handgun and an ice pick, got on a multicab and robbed three female passengers of their valuables.

Less than an hour later, the same group robbed the passengers of another south-bound multicab at 12:10 p.m. yesterday morning.

However, a man with a gun who was reportedly at the lane divider in the area at the time fired at the alleged robbers as they got off from the vehicle, hitting Sanchez.

Sanchez and his group ran toward nearby sitio Kawatan which is in the same barangay.

The armed man, who has remained unidentified, fled from the scene on a motorcycle.

After learning that Sanchez's accomplices took him to the VSMMC, the police, led by PO3 Alfredo Cuizon, arrested Belamia and the two minors.

PO3 Arnold Damasco said the 17-year-old boy had already been arrested for the same offense when he was still 14 years old.

In the ensuing pursuit of the alleged robbers yesterday morning in sitio Kawatan, Cuizon, PO2 Henry Mata, PO1 Jundave David, and PO3 Ferdinand Pablo, apprehended Jerry Quiñones, 23, another of Sanchez's alleged cohort. One more alleged accomplice, Raymart Roxas, reportedly evaded arrest.

Recovered from the group were three cellular phones believed to belong to victims.

Ma. Teresa Arriesgado, 29, of barangay Colon, Naga City, one of the three female victims, reported to the police of that Monday night robbery heist.

She said she lost her shoulder bag with her phone worth P3,000, P3,000, ATM cards, and some important things to the suspects.

Victims of the second heist Azineth Anastacio, Edgar Escarlan, Mercy Gorre, and Dorrie June Heyrosa also went to the city police to have the incident recorded.

Anastacio, 25, a resident of Naga, said one of the suspects aimed his pistol at her after she hesitated to give her bag to him.

Robbery in this part of Talisay has become common so that city police chief Supt. Henry Biñas is planning to put up a substation in the area.

Meanwhile, charges against the suspects will be filed today. (FREEMAN)