Balete highway robbery suspects still at large

KALIBO, Aklan – The three suspects in last week’s highway robbery in Balete, Aklan remain at large.

Police have already identified two of them – Ahmad “Torke” Dedato and Norhalim “Titanic” Macabidar, both 23 years old and residents of Salvador town, Lanao del Norte.

Dedato and Macabidar currently resides at Noor Allah Village in Barangay Camanci Norte, Numancia, Aklan, the police added.

Them and an unidentified accomplice took away P228,000 cash from ukay-ukay merchants Almer Emblarinag, 34, of San Jose, Antique and Jonard Pacheco, 41, of Iloilo City around 3:40 p.m. on Aug. 29, a police report showed.

Emblarinag and Pacheco were on board a van heading back to Iloilo City at the time.

Macabidar asked them if he could hitch a ride in Barangay Bulwang, Numancia. He then asked Emblarinag and Pacheco to drop him in Sitio Bangbang, Barangay Feliciano, Balete.

Macabidar said his companions were waiting for him there as their tricycle had a flat tire.

But when the van stopped, Macabidar declared holdup and hit Emblarinag and Pacheco with a mallet, police said.

Dedato also pointed a .38-caliber gun at Emblarinag.

After taking the clutch bag containing the money, the suspects fled on board their tricycle to Banga, Aklan.

Emblarinag and Pacheco, meanwhile, drove until they reached Barangay Poblacion in Balete where they asked help. They sustained head and face injuries.

Officers from the Balete police station already filed charges against the three suspects. (With a report from Aklan Forum Journal/PN)