Cops file raps vs 5 others in La Castellana hold-up

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Five more persons tagged in robbery-hold-up and shooting incidents in La Castellana, Negros Occidental are facing charges for robbery in band with physical injuries.

Police Captain Rhojn Darell Nigos, La Castellana town police chief, said they have identified the five other suspects who are at large, based on the statements of the two arrested suspects.

But Nigos would not name them yet while the investigation is ongoing to locate their whereabouts.

Police first arrested Rene Boy Abrico, 45; and Augusto Tubongbanua, Jr., 39, both residents of Murcia town, in Barangay Sag-ang, La Castellana town, several hours after the incident occurred through information from some concerned citizens.

Nigos said the cartographic sketches of the five other perpetrators matched the description given by the victims apart from the witnesses’ statements.

The last suspect in the incident was the group’s driver, who picked them up from Hinigaran town to La Castellana town that day.

Nigos said they are still trying to get the real identity of the driver.

“They acted as a group, daw organized, so included sila tanan sa case,” Nigos said.

Nigos said that all seven suspects were not from La Castellana town, adding that two of them have pending cases for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

These persons allegedly robbed and shot a retired teacher and her daughter while they were passing by Barangay Robles on board a sports utility vehicle (SUV) driven by the latter on Jan. 10. The victims’ three companions, including a five-month-old baby girl were unharmed.

Nigos said that only one of the two wounded victims is still confined in a hospital here.