Robbers take P300,000 payroll in Carmen

CEBU, Philippines - Five armed men barged into a chicken dressing plant owned by M. Lhuillier pawnshop in Barangay Cantipay, Carmen town, around 11:30 p.m. the other night and stole an estimated P300,000 cash intended for the salaries of its employees.

The suspects entered through the back of the plant compound unnoticed and disarmed security guards Sidney Delos Reyes and Islizer Molina, both of Standout Security Agency Inc., of their service firearms, a .38 cal. revolver and .45 cal. pistol.

The robbers then entered the office of the plant by breaking the jalousies and took the money.

A letter was later left at the office allegedly by one of the robbers. It was addressed to a certain Edward Loop, an administrator of the Lhuillier properties.

“Ang akong grupo maoy nagdala sa tingog ug reklamo sa tanan nimong trabahante kabahin sa pagpangayo ug omento sa sweldo nga wa nimu hatagi ug bili. Ika duha ang prebilihiyo sa dressing plant, wa gihapon nimo ihatag nga ikaw unta ang nagpasalig nga imong hatagan ug kon makatuman sa mga condisyon. Bakakon ka, tungod niini nasuko kami kanimo ug sample pa kining among gibuhat ug gihimo. Napugos kami sa pagbagat kanimo sa labing dali. Kon dili ka mupahawa dinhi dauban namo ang tanang properties ni Lhuillier,” read the letter which was signed by a “Sericon”.

Because “Sericon” claimed to lead a group of robbers who represented the pawnshop’s employees, police surmise that the robbery is an inside job but further investigation is still being conducted. 

It was a certain Peter John Villamor who called the police informing them of the robbery.

Insp. Carlos Reyes, chief of the Carmen Police Station, said that the robbers were familiar with the security guards because one of them asked the guards where the shotgun was.

The perpetrators were also aware of the pattern of the delivery of money and the scheduled payday of the employees.

For now Reyes said that they will not divulge any names so that their investigation will not be hampered.

Reyes also said that some of the employees are scheduled for questioning.

Cantipay is around three kilometers from the town proper of Carmen. — Joanna Mae T. Eborda, UP intern, and Gabriel C. Bonjoc/BRP(FREEMAN NEWS)