DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The armed robbery of a pawnshop in the downtown area of Davao City on Wednesday raised speculations online that this was scripted or simulated, but the Davao City Police disagrees and said an organized crime group is behind the incident.
Davao City Police Director Colonel Hansel Marantan faced reporters on Thursday to rebuff the claims by netizens.
“That’s irrelevant now. This is not a Simex, this is for real. (Have you seen the stolen jewelry?) It’s worth millions. We cannot provide such high-value items (just for a simulation),” Marantan told reporters.
One of the suspects of the robbery was caught minutes after the incident, as police continue their operation to trace the whereabouts of the remaining suspects. A P100,000 reward for information on each suspect is being offered by the Police Regional Office-Davao (PRO-11).
Four persons were seen to have pulled off the daring heist last February 26 around 10 am at Hannah Pawnshop in Ilustre Street. The company’s CCTV footage, which was posted on social media, showed two suspects entering the store as they pulled out guns from their jackets, the third one holding what appears to be a hammer, and the fourth one pulling out an M-16 rifle from a backpack.
The footage showed the suspects forcing the store’s two security guards and staff on the ground while carting away jewelry and watches from the store’s display. It took about two minutes for them to do the crime.
Video footage shared by netizens showed that three of the suspects tried to escape on a motorcycle that conked out on the busy intersection of San Pedro Street. The suspects abandoned the motorcycle and fled by foot into the Bankerohan Public Market across the street. Another CCTV footage found one of the suspects taking off his cargo pants to reveal another layer of pants as he ran into the maze of stores in the marketplace.
One of the suspects got caught in the market, who was identified as Johnny, a resident from Albuera, Leyte.
Police recovered from the chase a bag full of stolen jewelry, which they said was worth around P40-million based on the pawnshop’s record.
They also recovered one 9-mm pistol, one M16 rifle and a Honda motorcycle used by the suspects. A radio report said the police traced the motorcycle to be registered in Bislig, Surigao del Sur.
Marantan said the actions of the robbery hinted they are well-organized. “Organisado sila (They were organized) and there must be a tipster, (their actions were ) very accurate,” the police chief said.
There is still no information on how the robbers managed to sneak in a long firearm, given the city’s police visibility and an election gun-ban is in place.
Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO) head Angel Sumagaysay, in an interview, assured the public that the police and security forces will heighten their presence in the city’s downtown area.
The incident sparked discussions on social media on concerns of public safety, while some claim without basis that certain groups staged this incident to tarnish the city’s image as safe from crime. (davaotoday.com)
davao city
