Widows confront rob gang leader

It’s been more than 10 months since security guards Leofer Etac and Lito Odag were killed when armed robbers attacked the armored car they escorted at Robinsons Place in Cebu City.

Last Friday, the widows  of the two slain guards  came face to face with Junjun Cabando alias Dionisio Cabatingan, the alleged gang leader of the  Sept. 5, 2011 robbery.

The captured Cabando apologized to the two wives but said he wasn’t the one who shot dead the guards.

Widows Elma Odag and Jasmine Etac made known to him the depth of their anguish.

“Dili ko makapasaylo. Iya nang bayaran tanan iyang mga sala (I cannot forgive him. He should pay for what he had done ),” said Jasmine.

The 13-year-old daughter of Odag cried during the confrontation with Cabando at the police office of the Regional Special Operation Group.

“Nag-birthday ko wa akong papa. Mo-graduate sad ko wa koy papa (I celebrated my birthday without my father. I’m also set to graduate without him),” the daughter said.

Leofer left three children aged 7, 4, and 3.

Holding a picture of her slain son, Lilia, Etac’s mother, cried while telling news reporters how hard their lives have been since the death of his son. Lilia suffered a mild stroke after her son’s death.

Their families said they are still waiting for the free scholarship from Galing Pinoy! partylist group of Rep. Mikey Arroyo which he promised to them when he visited the guards’ vigil wake last year.

The two widows said they were hoping the Cebu City government could provide them jobs since their families had lost their breadwinners.

Cabando, who was arrested in  in Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte on Thursday, denied that he was the leader of the robbery group. He said he was just the driver of the get-away motorcycle.

His days of crime are over.

“Enough na to, tiguwang na ta (That was enough. I am already old),” said Cabando.

Police are looking into Cabando’s claims that there were Mindanao-based financiers behind them.

Senior Supt. Rolando Ualat, chief of staff of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas, said the financiers are part of the splinter group of the notorious Kuratong Baleleng gang of Mindanao.

Cabando, who was brought to Cebu City after his arrest, refused to reveal the names of their financiers.  He said three cohorts who were gunned down during the failed robbery had direct contact with their backers.

Three robbers  identified as Mario Dapitan, Nelson Magsanay aka Melencio Quiapo, and Antonio Adelan were killed. /CORRESPONDENT CHITO O. ARAGON