1 nabbed, 5 hunted in Butuan hotel robbery

BUTUAN CITY — After the arrest of one of the six suspects in the daring Butuan Royal Plaza Hotel robbery, the Philippine National Police Caraga Region launched manhunt operations against the remaining five robbery suspects.

Allan Fernandez, 30, a self-confessed lookout of the Sept. 23 robbery named his companions as, Oliver Gonzales alias "Bimbim," 28, the alleged mastermind of the group, ex-CAFGU member and ex-security guard Ramonito Dique, 28, of the said hotel, Bernabe Catome, 19, the youngest in the group, Berio Babida, 23, and a certain Junior.

Fernandez’ wife, Delia told to Butuan police investigators that at about 3 a.m. of Sept. 23, the six did their loots at the house of Nerio Babida in Barangay Buhangin, Butuan City.

Neighbors of Babida also collaborated the statements of Fernandez that the suspects wore expensive jewelry in the morning of Sept. 24 when they left for Misamis Oriental.

Babida offered a .22 cal. pistol ASTRA brand to his younger brother but the brother allegedly refused to accept it. It was later found out that said pistol was owned by owners of the hotel, Mr. and Mrs. Antonio Burgos.

Last Sept. 23, at about 1:20 a.m. six robbers posing as customers entered Butuan Royal Plaza Hotel located at T. Calo cor. G. Flores Ave., this city and declared a heist. The suspects carted away undetermined amount of cash money, expensive jewelry and belongings of the Burgos couple.

Meanwhile, a highway robbers struck anew in Carrascal, Surigao del Sur the other day, victimizing passengers of an L-300 shuttle van bound for Surigao City from Tandag, Surigao del Sur. Six unidentified persons armed with carbine rifles, M-14 garand and .38 cal. pistols flagged down the van at Sitio Nasipit, Barangay Adlay of said town and announced a hold up.

A GSIS check for P225,000, cellphones, and cash worth P30,000 were carted away by the suspects, believed to be Mamanwa tribesmen. — Ben Serrano