Parañaque cops solve P15-M rob case in 17 hours

Four armed men stormed a money lending company in Parañaque City over the weekend and carried away some P15 million in cash but later, one of its employees was arrested after police investigation revealed that it was an inside job.

As of press time P10 million of the loot remains unaccounted for as only P5 million were recovered from employee-suspect Joseph Urtal, 32, who later broke down and confessed to the crime after intensive police interrogation. Urtal is the vice-president for operations of the company.

Parañaque City Mayor Joey Marquez took pride in the immediate solving of the case by his policemen, boasting later that the local police force cracked the case in just 17 hours. The incident, handled by Police Officer 3 Roque Tome and PO2 Valero Bueno, appeared to have been kept under wraps until the presentation of Urtal to the media yesterday.

Based on a report by Parañaque Police Investigation Division chief, Chief Inspector Glenn Tigson to the Southern Police District headquarters, the robbery occurred at about 9:30 a.m. of Nov. 2 at Zulaikah Lending and Delivery Services, located along Avecilio street, Mayuga Homes, BF Homes, Parañaque.

The suspects, wearing ski masks and armed with handguns, reportedly barged into the iron grill-reinforced home, where the company holds office, and at gunpoint hog-tied its two occupants – Renato Bacero, 58, cashier, and Jeron Belbeder, 23, a helper. Police said Bacero was then preparing to deposit the money in a safety deposit vault while Belbeder was watching television in the living room at the time.

The tied-up employees were locked in the comfort room while the robbers ransacked the house and escaped. But police later discovered that suspect Urtal came into the house a few minutes before the robbery, roamed around the house and later left. He was escorted to the gate by Belbeder.

But unknown to Bacero and Belbeder, the suspects had slipped inside the house and had hidden in the driver’s quarters until they surprised the two.

Police later invited Urtal for interview but found his statement had "flaws and inconsistencies" prompting a deeper probe into the case. Police "tactical interrogation" later resulted in a confession from Urtal who then led police to his home along Prosce street, Camelia Homes, Parañaque City where part of the loot, P5,546,830, was recovered.

Based on Marquez’s statement, Urial claimed to have merely received the bag from the group of men not knowing what its contents were. But he was also quoted as saying that he did it (crime) for his family and refused to name the men who handed him the bag.

A robbery hold-up charge was filed against Urtal while follow-up operation continues for the rest of the suspects.

Marquez said the accomplishment is "another star for the city government and the Parañaque police" and cautioned other companies in the City against keeping large amounts of cash in homes to avoid such incidents.