Davao power firm loses P.3-M payroll to ‘guerrillas’

DAVAO CITY — Five armed men, claiming to be communist guerrillas, carted away P326,000 in payroll of the Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative (Daneco) satellite office in the Island Garden City of Samal last Friday.

Chief Superintendent Isidro Lapeña, Southern Mindanao police director, said the robbers just casually walked into Daneco’s cashier’s office and demanded the money.

"We are looking deeper into the case and we will work on improving the security on the island," he said.

A Daneco security guard said one of the robbers identified himself as Kumander Roy before they left the company’s building in Barangay Babak.

The robbers reportedly fled toward Sitio Limao in nearby Barangay Penaplata where a pumpboat waited for them.

Lapeña said the robbery appeared to be well-planned. — Edith Regalado