Police nab one of Mindanao’s most wanted

MANILA, Philippines—The leader of a notorious robbery syndicate and one of the most wanted men in Southern Mindanao has been arrested  in Tangub City, Misamis Occidental, the Philippine National Police said Saturday.

Willy Estribor, 42, of South Bay, R. Castillo, Agdao, Davao City, was arrested last Tuesday by detectives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group  in Davao City and Police Anti Crime Emergency Response (PACER) Mindanao Field Office.

Estribor is listed No. 9 on the CIDG’s Top Ten Most Wanted Persons in Region 11, said CIDG director Chief Superintendent Samuel D. Pagdilao Jr.

The suspect was arrested on the strength of warrants of arrest issued by Regional Trial Court, Branch 17, Davao City for robbery and Regional Trial Court Branch 2 in Tagum City for robbery with violence against persons.

In a statement, the CIDG said the modus operandi of the Estribor group usually involved the use of motorcycles in chasing possible targets. It added that the group was usually armed with short firearms and hand grenades.

Regional Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit 11 chief, Senior Superintendent Pedro Cabatingan said Estribor’s gang, originally based in Kapalong, Davao del Norte, was responsible for a series of robberies and hold-ups  in Davao City and Davao del Norte.

Cabatingan said Estribor and his group were responsible for the September 2005 robbery of a convenience store in County Homes Cabantian, Buhangin, Davao City where they took off with some P40,000.

Estribor’s group was also tagged in the recent Western Union  hold-up on J.P. Laurel Avenue in Davao City. After that incident, the group leader reportedly went into hiding somewhere in Agusan and Davao Oriental provinces until his arrest.

CIDG operatives are now hot on the trail of five other members of the Estribor Gang, three of them identified as Ian Clemente, Petronio Siga and Robert Te.