By Bobby Lagsa
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
CAGAYAN DE ORO -- Security lapses have been the weakest link in the swift heist at the Cagayan Electric Power and Light Co. (Cepalco) Tuesday that left the power firm losing at least P35,000 from its two tellers and an undetermined amount of money from customers waiting for their turn to pay their electricity bill, police said.
It was still around 8:40 a.m. Tuesday and the number counter stopped at 30 when the heist occurred. Authorities saw the attack as highly planned and well executed.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage that Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro got showed that it only took the robbers about five to seven minutes to complete the heist, ordering everyone within the facility to relax and lie on the floor.
THIS screen grab of the heist at the Carmen Branch of the Cagayan de Oro Electric Power and Light Co. (Cepalco) on Tuesday morning shows how well planned and well-executed it was. The footage shows the robbers carry out the heist in less than five minutes. At press time, police have no clues on the identities of the suspects. (Footage provided by police)
Senior Inspector Alfredo Ortiz, Carmen police chief, said that security personnel guarding payment facilities like Cepalco should follow the standards set based on their trainings.
The standards should be: one security would stand outside the door, inspecting each one that gets inside, while the other stands on the other side, “with doors locked, only allowing one to come in after the guard outside motions a cleared signal,” Ortiz said.
The CCTV footage also showed that the security guards committed lapses on the security measures.
Photos by Joey P. Nacalaban
The robbers entered Cepalco at 8:43 a.m. separately, with the first three entering simultaneously and positioning themselves inside in various places.
The next two robbers then entered and disarmed security guard Cristino Boac, who stood by the door, and declared the hold-up.
Ortiz pointed out that Boac allowed customers and the robbers to enter the facility without passing through security inspection.
Ortiz’s fellow, security guard Ely Abratiguin, was putting on his uniform in the staff’s quarter when the heist took place, prompting a high ranking Cepalco official to comment “it’s already 8:45 in the morning and he was just about to wear his uniform.”
Ortiz said that Abratiguin is also tasked to clean the lobby in the morning before he goes to his post, thereby leaving just Boac at the door.
Both security guards are employed by Versatile Security Agency.
The robbers also took several belongings from the customers, including a laptop, watches and several bags, and with one customer declaring that her P20,000 for electricity bill payment had been forcibly taken from her.
An official of the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) was also divested with his personal belongings. source
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