Gas station loses P500 thousand in robbery, guard killed

CEBU, Philippines —  A security guard was found dead with a gunshot wound inside a comfort room of a gasoline station that also lost over half a million of its earnings in Barangay Tuyan, Naga City early morning yesterday.

Police Staff Sergeant Dionecio Cabotaje, desk officer on duty of the Naga police station, said the authorities found out that the burglary might have transpired at around 1 a.m. that day.

The security guard victim was identified as Rogelio Librando Patatag, 55.

Seaoil cashier Christian Jake Laran, who arrived at around 6:30 a.m. for his shift found out that the station’s steel vault inside the office have been forcibly opened and that the P581,000 was already missing.

He then later found Patatag in the comfort room with a gunshot wound to his head that was believed to be the cause of his instantaneous death.

“Mao to nakita niya ang security guard, naa na sa CR, wala nay kinabuhi.  Nya mao pay pag-report dayon niya sa police station atong mga orasa.  Further investigation ang maong gwardiya anaay gunshot wound sa iyang ulo mao to niresulta sa iyang kamatayon,” Cabotaje told The FREEMAN.

The missing cash was the gasoline station's 10-day income.

The investigators are now gathering information and are looking for witnesses of the incident.  Cabotaje said they are not also discounting the possibility that the incident might also be an inside job.

“Ni-conduct pa ta ug further investigation for follow-up ug unsa gyuy motibo aning (panghitaboa) ug kinsay mga perpetrator ani,” he added.

Aside from this, the police are also checking the CCTV cameras around the area to find any possible leads for the investigation of the case.  GAN (FREEMAN)