BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO – The Balasan Municipal Police Station (MPS) will file charges against six suspects in the robbery of Gaisano Mall in Barangay Mamhut, Balasan, Iloilo, on Dec. 5, 2022.
Over P5-million worth of jewelry and cellular phones were carted away from two gadget shops and one jewelry store.
Police Master Sergeant Eddie Mars Magbanua, Balasan MPS investigator, said they already have three suspects who were not residents of the locality. Meanwhile, the remaining three John Does acted as lookouts.
“Ang ginlantaw naton subong nga mga suspects tatlo, identified ini sang witness through sa pictures. Mga pangayaw ini sila kag dati nga boarders sa Barangay Balantian. Sa info nga nakuha naton may ara taga-Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro. Gina lantaw ta pa sa karon ang exact address gid nila kay ang nakuha ta city address lang,” Magbanua said in an interview.
The area manager of the mall stood as the complainant.
“Posible ma-file na ang kaso by next week,” Magbanua added.
Magbanua also disclosed that their two witnesses’ statements were circumstantial and neither saw the suspects firsthand during the robbery. One witness came across the suspects outside the mall at around 2 a.m. on Dec. 5, while another saw the suspects hanging out across the mall.
According to the Balasan MPS, some of the suspects were last seen in the locality in December, after the robbery incident.
To recall, employees of the said mall discovered the burglary around 8 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 5, when they opened the establishment./PN
