Guard eyed in Pasig mall heist 'missing'

MANILA, Philippines - The security guard who acted “strangely” during the P550,000 robbery at the Robinson’s East mall in Pasig City last June 22 has gone “missing,” an official said yesterday.

Eastern Police District (EPD) director Chief Superintendent Miguel Laurel said Ronualdo Magno, of the Corporate Protection Service Inc. security agency, promised to appear before police investigators to have his statement taken right after the robbery.

“Magno expressed willingness to appear before police investigators to give his statement on the incident last June 22. But the next day, he shut off his cellular phone, and we lost contact with him,” Laurel said in an interview.

Superintendent Remus Medina, EPD intelligence chief said the owner of the security agency, retired police general Ike Galang, claimed Magno went on leave on June 23.

“We wanted him to surface for us to know what reason he has in going on leave. He may be traumatized by his experience and wanted to take several days rest,” Medina said.

Laurel clarified that Magno is not yet considered as a suspect in the robbery. He ruled out a manhunt for the missing security guard.

Medina said Galang promised to provide police investigators Magno’s personal data sheet yesterday. He said once they have Magno’s PDS, they will check if he has links to criminal syndicates.

“He is now a person of interest,” he said.

Surveillance camera footage showed Magno, who was assigned to guard the mall’s back door, not frisking those who entered the mall minutes prior to the robbery. Before the robbers ran out of the mall, Magno was seen opening both panels of the double doors. He stepped aside just as the robbers ran past.