Police identify four minors in Pavia robbery

ILOILO CITY — Police have identified four minors as suspects in the robbery of a sales clerk on the evening of Sept. 29 in Pavia, Iloilo.

Three of them were taken into custody hours after the incident.

Police identified them only by the aliases “Toto AJ,” 15; “Milmil,” 15; and “Dagul,” 14, all residents of Iloilo City.

Their other companion, alias “Mike,” 16, remains at large.

Alias “Christy,” 27, a resident of Barangay Barusong, Tigbauan, Iloilo, who is temporarily residing in Barangay Ungka 2, Pavia, positively identified the four minors as the ones who allegedly robbed her at around 8:50 p.m. Tuesday in Ungka 2.

Christy had just come from work at the nearby CityMall when she was held at knifepoint.

The victim told police investigators that she was walking to her boarding house when she saw four “male persons.”

When she passed them, two of the suspects allegedly grabbed her from behind and declared “hold-up” while pointing a hard object at her waist.

Another suspect allegedly grabbed her shoulder bag containing assorted identification cards, a passport, a mobile phone and PHP 100 in cash.

The suspects then ran toward a dark portion of a vacant lot in Hacienda Verde Subdivision.

Police Maj. Bonifacio Alabe Jr., Pavia police chief, said investigators initially received information that the suspects were from the relocation site in Barangay Sambag, Jaro.

Police coordinated with Iloilo City Police Station 9 to obtain photographs from its rogues’ gallery.

From there, the victim positively identified the four minors as those who allegedly robbed her.

Alabe said the four had records for violating the ordinance on curfew for minors and had been involved in street fights in the area.

Christy claimed Toto AJ was the one who pointed a knife at her while Mike grabbed her bag.

Alabe’s team coordinated with barangay officials and later went to the minors’ respective houses.

At around 10 a.m. Wednesday, the parents of the three minors turned their children over to authorities.

Alabe said the three were turned over to the local Social Welfare and Development Office for proper disposition of their case.

Under Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, records and proceedings involving children in conflict with the law are confidential, while social welfare authorities are required to provide appropriate intervention and handle their cases under child-sensitive procedures.