IPPO to file robbery case against five individuals in Iloilo jewelry store heist

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) confirmed that it might file a case against five persons behind the robbery of a pawnshop and jewelry store located at a mall in Pavia, Iloilo.

IPPO chief Police Colonel Bayani Razalan said they’re preparing a case against one unidentified suspect and four John Does.

The identified suspect is the person caught on closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera while robbing the jewelry store.

Razalan said they confirmed the man to be from Cordillera region.

The suspect had prior involvement in similar crime.

“It was confirmed by the intelligence community,” he said.

The four other suspects were only known based on the CCTV footages.

Earlier a reliable informant allegedly saw the suspects inside the vehicle, where there were  tools that could have used in excavating a hole to gain access to the establishment located at GT Town Center in Pavia.

Meanwhile, Razalan admitted that it took them a while to file the case because the jewelry store is uncooperative with the investigators.

He also revealed that the money changer shop has executed an affidavit that they’re no longer interested to file a case.

It can be noted that a P50,000 reward would be given to any person who would identify or provide information on at least one suspect who broke into a pawnshop and jewelry store.

Based on the CCTV footage, there were at least three persons who entered the establishment at around 3:10 a.m. of Dec. 17.

But only one person was caught on camera.

He was wearing a bonnet but his eyes and nose were clearly visible.

The CCTV camera captured the silhouettes of the  two other men as they passed a glass wall.

Around P30 million worth of jewelry were estimated to have been taken by robbers at the jewelry store.

The company also lost PHP 280,000, bills that were left inside the vault along with the jewelry.

On top of that, police said the nearby money changer shop also lost PHP 588,000 in cash and an undetermined amount of foreign currency.

The money was placed inside an unlock vault.