OZAMIZ CITY, Misamis Occidental – Law enforcement is actively pursuing a couple identified by their five apprehended accomplices as the alleged masterminds behind the PHP41.7-million mall robbery that occurred here on January 1.
In a statement released on Thursday, the apprehended suspects asserted that they were hired by the unidentified couple residing in Barangay Baybay Triunfo. The suspects claimed that the couple orchestrated the entire robbery, from planning to execution, and currently possess the majority of the cash and jewelry loot.
The Ozamiz City Police Station (OCPS) disclosed that three suspects—Alfred Gomez Baterna, Francis Joe Sayson Baterna, and Alberto Inlo Batulaso—hail from the neighboring Tangub City. The remaining two—Bryan Montealto and Ramel Apatan Villarumente—originate from Zamboanga del Norte province.
Police Maj. Dennis Tano, the OCPS officer-in-charge, stated that a tracker team is actively pursuing other suspects involved in the robbery. Tano advised local barangay officials to conduct profiling, particularly on apartment and boarding house renters.
According to a police report, the suspects dug a tunnel from a nearby compound hosting a carnival to gain access to the mall premises. A witness claimed that three suspects were also employed at a local carnival.
Police records indicated that the suspects had previously been involved in a series of robberies in their region.
An affidavit inventory revealed that one of the robbed jewelry stores suffered losses totaling around PHP30 million in jewelry items and cash, amounting to PHP722,000. The other jewelry store and a separate automated teller machine, from which cash was stolen, have not yet disclosed the exact extent of their losses. (PNA)
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