Cops seek cybercrime unit’s help in P1.3-M bank robbery

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The Hinoba-an Municipal Police Station in Negros Occidental has requested the Provincial Cybercrime Division to review the closed circuit television (CCTV) camera of a bank after P1.3 million went missing last week.

Police Major Clifford Batadhay, town police chief, said the management of the Rural Bank of Ilog-Hinoba-an branch has also approved their request for the Cybercrime Division to check the CCTV footage.

However, they need to forward it to the Regional Cybercrime Division due to the unavailability of the examiner in the province.

Batadhay said the purpose of examining the CCTV is to check if it was able to capture someone before it was turned off.

Police earlier said that an unidentified person who might have knowledge on the wire connections was able to turn off or unplug the CCTV camera as well as the security alarm through the bank’s glass window.

“We’re hoping na mamaterialize para mabal-an ta kung sin-o man to ang nag unplug,” Batadhay said.

Batadhay said they are also waiting for the results of the fingerprint test of the six bank employees, who were also earlier investigated in the incident.

The fingerprint test was part of the protocol, according to the police, as they do not discount the possibility of an “inside job.”

The employees discovered the robbery incident on November 11, when they were about to open the bank after its roll up door was already open.

Aside from that, Batadhay also said that the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) was able to recover a small towel soaked in gas, wrapped with matches and mosquito coil that was placed on top of the dividers inside the bank, an indication that the perpetrator/s might have also planned to burn the building.

“Daw na sindihan na ang towel pero wala totally nasunog because wala siguro hangin sulod,” he added.

Despite this, Batadhay said the bank already resumed its operations while investigation is ongoing.