Robbery witness shows up

A SECURITY guard serving as a witness of a 2007 robbery incident surrendered to the court yesterday after he was ordered arrested for failing to attend hearings.

Edgar Abudal went to the Palace of Justice escorted by Chief Insp. Michael Anthony Bastes, chief of the Mandaue City Police Office’s Investigation and Detective Management Branch.

Regional Trial Court Judge Douglas Marigomen of Branch 5, however, decided not to detain Abudal who has skipped several court hearings.

The judge admonished Abudal to attend the next hearing on Oct. 11 or he would be jailed.

A bench warrant was earlier issued against Abudal who witnessed the armored van heist outside La Nueva Supermarket along Magallanes Street, Cebu City on August 13, 2007.

Abudal, a security guard of the Mandarin Security Agency, was the driver of the armored van during the incident.

In his affidavit, Abudal said he was inside the armored van when he saw one of his companions slump to the ground.

He tried to open the door to verify what happened but one of the robbers fired shots at him.

The right windshield of the armored van was hit.

Abudal said he later saw two of his companions lying on the ground with gunshot wounds. and brought them to the Cebu City Medical Center for medical treatmemt.

One of the two guards eventually died.

The robbers took at least P2.3 million but the cash was all recovered later.

The arrested suspects were identified as Casimero Garcia, Cresencio Reguya, and Danilo Flores./REPORTER ADOR VINCENT S. MAYOL