Owned by solon's wife’s family: Jewelry store hit by daylight rob

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — A jewelry store owned by the family of the wife of Rep. Jerry Treñas (lone district of Iloilo City) and the wife of City Vice Mayor Jose Espinosa III was robbed in broad daylight yesterday.

A few minutes after Sarabia Pawnshop and Jewelry Store, located at corner Guanco and JM Basa Streets in this city, opened, nine or 10 armed men barged into the establishment.

They disarmed the lone guard and, using hammers, they broke the pawnshop's glass cabinet and scooped up various pieces of jewelry, which value has yet to be determined.

Police Officer 2 Mark Zaldivar, driver of Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director Senior Supt. Marietto Valerio, who was at the area when the incident happened, immediately responded to the crime scene. He was going to fix something in a nearby shop when a woman told him of the ongoing robbery.

Zaldivar then ran for the armalite rifle kept at Valerio's service vehicle and immediately sought cover. But one of the suspects saw him. An exchange of gunfire then ensued.

A certain police officer Porras, who was also off duty, also responded to the scene. After around four minutes since the robbery took place, the suspects fled on board three motorcycles.

Investigators recovered from the scene at least 10 empty shells of still undetermined caliber of firearm, and that they have yet to disclose the group behind the incident.

On February 1, 2011, members of the Acetylene Gang burglarized the pawnshop owned by Treñas's wife along E. Lopez St. in Brgy. Fatima of Jaro district in this city. The establishment lost assorted jewelries valued at P400,000 and an estimated cash of P23,000. 

The congressman's wife, nee Rosalie Sarabia, is also the sister of the wife of the city's vice mayor. (FREEMAN)