Rob suspect fears for safety inside jail

CEBU, Philippines - One of the accused in the botched robbery of a roving bank teller inside a midtown mall last year has asked the court to have him detained in a separate facility away from the alleged robbery gang leader Junjun Cabando.

Citing security reasons, Rolien Castro, 29, asked the court to allow his detention outside of the Cebu City Jail. Castro’s counsel Rameses Villagonzalo said that having his client detained with Cabando would compromise his safety.

“There is an imperative need that Rolien Castro must not be detained along with Junjun Cabando at Cebu City Jail for this would cause grave and serious security and safety concern on the part of Castro,” Villagonzalo’s urgent motion reads.

Villagonzalo moved that his client will be detained either at the Investigation Detection and Management Branch (IDMB) of the Cebu City Police Office, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-7 or at the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Central Command in Camp LapuLapu.

Villagonzalo said his client was only dragged by Cabando into the crime of which he was innocent of.

 “He has nothing to do with the robbery with homicide at the mall on September 11, 2011,” he said.

In fact, they have witnesses who can attest that during the time of the robbery Castro was in his residence in Minglanilla.

Villagonzalo said that Cabando’s dragging of Castro was only done to mislead the police. Castro was also included in a frustrated murder case filed in Ozamis City against Cabando, his live-in partner Merly Laguitao, Mam Maglangit, George Puyat, and Mc Rey Bondaon.

Castro however was cleared of the charge after the complainant executed an affidavit of desistance.

Castro was arrested on July 16, 2012 in Minglanilla few days after the arrest of Cabando in Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte based on the warrant of arrest issued by RTC Judge Wilfredo Navarro in Cebu City.

Cabando is now detained at the Cebu City Jail together with Laguitao.

Jail warden Johnson Calub said Cabando, being a high-profile criminal, is isolated at the city jail.

Calub said he is also provided with a maximum number of jail officers as escorts when he attends court hearings. — (FREEMAN)