This developed as authorities have now identified the two suspects after the bank employees identified them through the police gallery.
Acting Cebu City Police Office director Patrocinio Comendador yesterday said they are now conducting a manhunt operation against Doroteo Imperial and Roldan Villanueva, alias Jimrick Cardosa, after the bank employees identified them as the ones who staged the robbery.
Both remnants of the Rey Torres Group, Imperial and Villanueva have pending warrants for their arrest for their alleged involvement in the series of robberies in the city.
Imperial and Villanueva and two others have pending warrant of arrest for their alleged involvement in the EastWest Bank robbery also along Archbishop Reyes Avenue in 2005.
Imperial was also tagged in the robbery of the Yusay Credit and Finance Corp and the Cebu Multi-Purpose Cooperative while Roldan was also the suspect in the Penbank robbery in Talisay City in 2005.
Comendador also said that during his meeting with members of the Cebu Bankers Association today, he would circulate pictures of the notorious robbers to be pasted in their respective establishments for public notice.
He said he would also urge bankers to share responsibilities with the police in protecting their establishments and advised them to employ more security guards.
With the recent spate of robberies in the city, there is a need for the police to review their deployment plan and identify critical routes that would be immediately be closed when a robbery occurs.
Comendador stressed that Archbishop Reyes Avenue is considered among the city's most critical routes because the area has many exit points.
With the resurgence in robberies under his leadership, Comendador said he does not fear of being relieved from his post because he believed he still many things to perform considering that he only assumes his post last month.
He added that changing the city directors would not solve the crime in the city. "We are doing our best to address this problem but I cant promise anything."
Meanwhile, police regional director Silverio Alarcio yesterday said he already instructed Comendador to put a stop to the series of robberies in the city, adding that he does not want another robbery under Comendador's leadership. - Flor Z. Perolina and Norvie S. Misa