Ex-PAF officer tagged in LPG store robbery

CEBU, Philippines - A former worker in the Philippine Air Force was arrested Friday night for allegedly stealing cash and valuables in an LPG dealer store in Sitio Kapaping, Barangay Basak Lapu-Lapu City.

Joel Seldura, 43, who lives in Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Barangay Pajo and a retired PAF officer, was identified as a suspect, together with his friend Richard Degolacion, 36, a resident of Sitio Sangi of the same barangay. Reportedly taken by the suspects were cash amounting to P2,480  and four cellular phones.

According to Police Officer 2 Neron Zarsuela of Lapu-Lapu City Police Office Station 4, it was the victim, Wilbert Lou Talidro, 22, a resident of Barangay Tisa, Cebu City and a cashier at Cebu Rufrance Multigas Corporation in Basak who reported the incident.

Based on the accounts given by the victim, she was attending the store when Seldura and Degolacion stormed the shop. Seldura pointed a .45 cal. gun on Talidro, asking for the money but she refused to give the cash.

The retired officer hit the cashier on her forehead and took P1,280 of the store proceeds, as well as four cellphones, police said. Talidro's wallet with P1,200  was also carted away. The two suspects sped off with their motorcycle.

The responding police officers made a follow-up investigation with the help of Special Weapons and Tactics led by Police Senior Inspector Conrado Manatad and the victim. The joint operation resulted to the arrest of Seldura and Degolacion around 5:45 p.m. on Friday in Sitio Sudtunggan after they were identified based on Talidro's account of the suspects' shirts and the motorcycle unit they used.

The cash and cellphones were immediately recovered by the police while a .45 cal. pistol attached with a silencer and its eight live ammunitions were taken from the suspects' possession. A shot gun with three live bullets was also retrieved together with a half-faced helmet, two plastics of used oil for cleaning firearms, two lighters, a black short pants and black shirt.

PO2 Zarsuela added that the two suspects were the same duo who stole a shotgun from a security guard who manned a hardware store in Sitio Wasiwas in Barangay Marigondon dawn of September 26.