Cops eye ‘inside job’ in jewelry store robbery in Manila
MANILA, Philippines — The Manila Police District (MPD) on Tuesday said it is considering inside job as among the angles in the Sept. 19 robbery incident against a jewelry store owner in Sta. Cruz, Manila.
A police officer responding to the incident was killed while three victims were injured after being shot by the perpetrators in the crime scene.
“Mayroon silang point man siguro. Hindi rin natin masabi. Tinitignan din yung possibility na inside job,” MPD chief Brig. Gen. Rolando Miranda said in a press conference in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, responding to a query if the perpetrators of the robbery are possibly someone inside the jewelry store.
(I think they have a point man. I can’t say yet. We are also looking into the possibility that this is an inside job.)
“Mayroong spotter or mayroon silang kasabwat sa area. (They have a spotter or they have an accomplice in the area),” he added.
Miranda also mentioned that the perpetrators were conducting surveillance prior to the robbery based on CCTV footage they received in the area.
Article continues after this advertisement“Talagang inikot nila. Sinurveillance yung (biktima). Ibig sabihin may tao sa lugar kung saan panggagalingan yung biktima,” he said.
Article continues after this advertisement(They really conducted surveillance on the victim. It means that there is someone who is trailing the victim from their point of origin.)
In the meantime, Miranda said police investigators are looking into four persons of interest (POI) in the robbery incident.
Police have yet to determine whether the POI are law enforcers, Miranda also noted.
“Hindi ko pa masagot yan kung pulis o sino man yan (POI), kasi hindi pa namin natutukoy yung identity nila,” he said, reacting to claims that police are involved in the robbery.
(I can’t answer that yet if they are police or whoever they are because we have yet to identify them.)
On Saturday, Sept. 19, Catherine King, jewelry shop owner in Sta. Cruz in Manila, her saleslady Vibisa Cañete and their driver Sulficio Pisngot were on board a white Toyota Innova along Florentino Street in Sta. Cruz when a red Mitsubishi Mirage suddenly blocked them.
Subsequently, three unidentified armed men approached the victims’ vehicle and opened fire which injured the three victims.
Police Executive Master Sergeant Roel Candido, 53, who was on board his scooter near the area, immediately responded.
However, Candido died on the spot after the perpetrators gunned him down.
After shooting Candido, the armed men stole cash as well as cellphones inside the victims’ vehicle and managed to escape the crime scene.
Miranda said King and her employees are already in stable condition after treatment in the hospital.
