Carcar police chief relieved

CEBU, Philippines – The chief of Carcar City Police Station was relieved from his post on Friday over his alleged failure in solving the robbery in a mall in the city on April 16.

Cebu Police Provincial Office director Clifford Gairanod said Superintendent Brindo Nacario was given enough time to solve the robbery or at least gather leads, but he failed.

Nacario will swap positions with Superintendent Alvin Balio, who heads CPPO’s Police Community Relations Branch.

Armed robbers went inside Super Metro on the evening of April 16 and declared a holdup. They looted P10 million worth of jewelry.

Two security guards were wounded in the incident.

Robbery Gang Member

Meanwhile, one of the suspect’s in last week’s robbery in Bogo City who got arrested on Friday is a suspected member of a known robbery group, police said.

Jess Sentillas, 23, one of those who reportedly robbed a sari-sari store in Bogo City last weekend is allegedly a member of the Montealto robbery group.

Sentillas is also tagged in the series of motorcycle theft and robbery incidents in Metro Cebu and in the northern part of the province.

The suspect also reportedly escaped in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Sambag, Bogo City in April 2014.

The Montealto robbery group, to which Sentillas allegedly belongs, is a remnant of previous robbery groups operating in the northern part of Cebu, said Gairanod.

“We had neutralized one of their members ‘nung shootout sa Consolacion weeks ago, ‘nya kaning usa nga nadakpan and we are trying our best to neutralize these possible bugs and robbery groups especially this coming election kasi they might be used for election purposes  to harass people, at the same time, manulis,” he said.

Gairanod said that there is a big possibility that this group is being protected by a politician.

The suspect has denied involvement in last week’s robbery. —/NSA (FREEMAN)