Son of former Marawi mayor tagged as suspect in jewelry store robbery

ILIGAN CITY, Lanao del Norte, Philippines — Police tagged the son of former Marawi Mayor Fahad Salic as one of the four robbers of a jewelry store in the war-torn city last week.

Staff Sgt. Amador Rosales, investigator-on-case of the Marawi City Police Station, said the store owner, Noaim Mohammad Macaraya, identified Mahid Salic as the one who pointed a gun at him while his three accomplices broke the glass shelves where the items of jewelry were kept.

Salic was charged with robbery with violence against a person on Friday, Jan. 22.

According to a police report, the robbery at Layl-Haya Jewelry Shop in Barangay Sugod happened at past noon last Jan. 16. The four robbers arrived at the store aboard a Ford Everest.

Apart from the jewelry, the suspects also carted away cash amounting to some P2.6 million, Rosales said.

Because the store owner fought off the robbers, the suspects mauled and stabbed him before they fled.

Macaraga suffered stab wounds and bruises all over his body, Rosales said.

Using information provided by witnesses, police pursued the suspects in a residential compound in the village of Maranao Timber of nearby Ditsaan Ramain town in Lanao del Sur, some 8 kilometers from Marawi.

The compound is owned by the family of Mahid’s wife, Rohanie Macalaba Comacasar, who said that her husband left their house at around 10 a.m. on Jan. 16.

Mahid was not around when the police arrived. But Rohanie provided the police a photo of Mahid which was then presented to Macaraya for identification.

“The victim positively identified Mahid as one of the suspects because he was not wearing any mask at all,” said Lt. Col. Thomas Pantaleon, Jr., Marawi City police chief.

Police seized the getaway vehicle used by the robbers.

Searcing inside the vehicle, police discovered a replica of a .45-caliber  pistol and a pencil case with six empty plastic sachets with the residue of a substance believed to be crystal meth (locally known as shabu), aluminum foil, and disposable lighters.

[atm]