Worker grilled on foiled Lahug pawnshop robbery

A WORKER of a Balamban town-based company was invited for questioning by the Cebu City police in relation to the botched robbery attempt of a pawnshop in barangay Lahug, Cebu City, last week.

The 40-year-old employee identified only as a certain “Baby” Toring denied involvement in the failed robbery of the Gemmary Pawnshop in Lahug.

He said he was at home in barangay Buanoy, Balamban town when the incident took place.

Chief Insp. Romeo Santander, chief of the Cebu City police’s City Intelligence Branch (CIB) said they invited Toring because witnesses identified him together with three suspects who rented a room near the pawnshop.

Toring said he voluntarily showed up for interrogation to clear his name.

But he admitted that he was arrested inside a pension house for a burglary incident in Cebu City’s downtown area.

Insp. Rolando Pinili, Theft and Robbery Section (TRS) chief, said witnesses were reluctant to show up after receiving text message threats.

Two other members of the so-called “acetylene cutter” gang identified as Bantag Madrid and Kenneth Dagodoy Coplonga were said to be natives of Benguet Mountain Province.

The two men were reportedly  miners. A tunnel was dug up from the house they stayed in, leading to a tailor shop that was separated by a wall from the Gemmary Pawnshop.

Pinili said Madrid identified himself as Johnny Lo, and he contracted a room with a house owner on the pretense of operating a spa.

He said Coplonga was identified by a hardware store attendant as having bought pliers from their establishment. Correspondent Chito Aragon