By Butch Bacaoco and Carla N. Canet
Friday, March 2, 2012
BACOLOD CITY (2nd Update, 3:25 p.m.) -- Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) lost P3.6 million in a brazen robbery staged by eight armed men at its main office in this city Thursday morning.
In a radio interview, Ceneco employees who witnessed the five-minute heist said one of the robbers initially grappled with one of the security guards at the lobby where the cashiers' area and cash division office are located.
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As this developed, the other suspects disarmed the three guards in the cashiers' area and the other guards at the back and front gates of the building. Another suspect went directly to the cash division office, fired a warning shot, and ordered the employees to drop to the floor.
The male suspect immediately asked for the money, which the robbers apparently knew would be picked up in a short while by Ceneco's depository bank. He placed the money in a duffel bag and immediately fled with his cohorts aboard three motorcycles heading toward the south.
"The operation was well-organized. The movements of the hold-uppers were so orderly and precise," said Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) Director Ricardo dela Paz in a radio interview.
He said the incident involved professional robbers who displayed précised and calculated moves when they divested Ceneco cashier and collection custodian Ronilo Edin of the money, which represented Ceneco's electric bill and other collections last Thursday.
It is not yet clear if the P3.6 million represented only the main office collection or includes collection from Ceneco sub-offices in other local government units in its coverage area.
Dela Paz immediately activated Task Force Ceneco, which he personally headed, to get into the bottom of the atrocious incident, which is the first in Ceneco's 37-year history.
The police official said he will request the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the regional intelligence personnel to aid in the probe.
Superintendent Santiago Rapiz, BCPO operations officer and spokesman, said the robbers were equipped with high-powered firearms, including Uzi sub-machine gun and 9-millimeter and .45 caliber pistols.
Witnesses said the robbers did not cover their faces but wore only baseball caps. The robbers seem to know that Ceneco does not have a closed-circuit television camera.
Police also theorized that the robbers are not from within the locality, as they did not take pains to hide their identity and were confident that they will not be recognized.
The members of the group were described to be well-dressed and well-built.
The robber who fired the warning shot and took the money in the cash division office was described as well-built and very well-dressed. He was the only one who spoke during the entire lightning-fast operation, witnesses said.
Ceneco employees were thankful that the robbers did not harm them. The only shot that was fired was not directed at any of them but was meant only as a warning shot. It went through the window of the office and hit the right window of the Ford Everest SUV service vehicle assigned to Ceneco general manager Engr. Sulpicio Lagarde Jr. who, at that time, was fortunately in the United States.
Edin said the hold-up was well planned and well-timed. The robbers knew the exact time to strike and they knew when the bank picks up the collection and also where the vault is located, he added.
"I can't believe that it happened in just a blink of an eye. I worked in Ceneco for 15 years and this is the first time that it happened for the past 37 years of Ceneco’s existence. It was very horrible. My blood pressure went up to 350/175," he said.
Meanwhile, Ceneco president Arnel Lapore said the electric coop asked the police for the speedy investigation of the case. He also asked employees to cooperate with the investigation.
He said the electric coop had just changed its security agency last week.
Ceneco temporarily suspended operations to give way to police investigation. (Sun.Star Bacolod/Sunnex)
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