EDITORIAL - Fund-raising

Another suspected member of the gang that robbed a retailer of expensive watches in Makati’s commercial district has been arrested. Dennis Serquina was apprehended at his home in Umingan, Pangasinan last Saturday, two days after the killing of alleged gang leader Alvin Flores and three of the other suspects in a firefight with law enforcers in Cebu City.

Police said Serquina admitted his participation in the robbery and made an intriguing disclosure: he and four other members of the notorious robbery gang also worked as bodyguards of a town mayor in Pangasinan. Investigators are now looking into the possible involvement of the mayor in the gang’s activities.

If a link is established, it could give insights into the path that leads people to a life of crime. Before pulling off the daring robbery at the watch dealer in Greenbelt 5, Alvin Flores had enjoyed notoriety for some time. Some reports said he used to be a janitor. Where did he learn to wield guns, organize a gang and obtain police uniforms to stage daring robberies? Using a deadly weapon and eluding the police are not skills that are learned easily – unless your mentors are themselves knowledgeable about the ways of police work.

From the Red Scorpion Group to the Kuratong Baleleng and the Abu Sayyaf, police and military officers in active service have left an imprint. Certain politicians have also been suspected of organizing their own gangs, mainly for fund-raising especially during elections. The gangs are organized ostensibly to infiltrate threat groups, but eventually end up being used for personal profit by their handlers. Armed and dangerous, such gangs can quickly go out of control, creating problems for those who had a hand in their creation.

Investigators should look closely into that possible link between the Alvin Flores gang and a public official, as claimed by Serquina. Politicians who turn to crime must be identified, prosecuted and punished as much as the mobsters that they have created.