Security guard robs very own bank

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MANILA, Philippines – A bank in Quezon City that was about to close Friday evening  fell victim to its own “Audacious” security guard who pulled a quick heist and locked up his co-workers in a room so he could make a clean getaway, police said.

The lone robber was identified as Reynante Gante, a watchman of the Audacious Security Services, Inc. assigned to the Chinabank branch on E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue in Barangay (village) Damayang Lagi.

Chief Inspector Rodelio Marcelo of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation Branch said they had yet to establish how much the watchman carted away. He said it could take more than a month before the bank determines and reports how much was stolen.

Gante was identified as the lone robber by the bank branch’s 12 employees whom he locked up in a room before escaping.

Case investigator Senior Police Officer 1 Joselito Gagaza said Gante, who was armed with his service firearm, took a brown box containing cash in different denominations and fled on a Kawasaki Fury motorcycle.

Operations assistant Renee Rose Avendaño told police that Gante had been assigned to their branch since January.

Initial investigation showed that the bank employees were working late as it was a weekend. Only the branch manager, Raquel Samala, was not at the bank during the robbery as she had already gone home.

Avendaño told investigators the robbery took place around 7:30 p.m. when they were about to call it a day.

She recalled that they were at the lobby waiting for Gante to open the locked front door since he was the only one with the keys.

At that time, the security guard was on the second floor but was taking so long one of the employees went up to fetch him.

To the employees’ surprise Gante came down, with gun drawn, and declared the robbery. But he apologized to his co-workers, assuring them he would not hurt anyone as long as they obeyed him.

Gante even apologized as he assured his co-workers that they would not be hurt as long as they were obedient, police said.

Gante then ordered Avendaño and cashier Reynante Yu to open the bank’s vault, after which Avendaño was divested of her belongings and then locked up with her co-workers.

Yu was told to place the cash in a brown box before he was locked up as well.

Employee Jessie Alacala had only one of his two cellphones taken by Gante and managed to call the branch manager.

Samala, accompanied by police, arrived at the bank after two hours and released the employees.