P4M disappears, 2 held in heist of DSWD dole

Tacloban City—A police officer and another suspect have been arrested in connection with a heist involving P8 million in funds for government doles to the poor in a case that is raising more questions than what police are willing to answer, including where P4 million of the money went.

Police on Tuesday said two employees of the regional Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) office in Tacloban City were held up on Monday as they carried P8 million for cash assistance to poor farmers and fishermen in Northern Samar.

A police officer and another suspect were arrested hours later.

SPO2 Vicente Yamon, of the regional Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), said the robbery took place in Tacloban past 7 a.m. on Monday. Arrested later in their homes in Barangay 64 here were suspects SPO1 Arnulfo Boco, 58, of the Ormoc City police, and Johnny Acgang, 19.

Yamon said two DSWD employees—Vilma Aguilar, 55, officer in charge of the regional DSWD’s management division, and Justino Goco, 48, driver—were on their way to the DSWD regional office carrying P8 million in cash and checks when Boco and Agcang stopped them.

Boco and Acgang, according to Yamon, boarded the pickup carrying Aguilar and driven by Goco and announced a holdup. Boco forced Aguilar out of the pickup and directed Goco to proceed to the Coca-Cola Junction in Tacloban where a third suspect, riding a motorcycle, was waiting.

Boco, Acgang and the third suspect took off with the P8 million, which was for the government’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program.

Where’s P4M?

Aguilar and Goco went to the police to report the robbery, leading to the arrest of Boco and Acgang. But police reported recovering only P3.89 million in cash and checks from the two. Police were elusive when asked where the rest of the money went.

Investigators quoted Aguilar as saying she brought home the P8 million at midnight of Saturday because the regional DSWD office was closed by that time. The money, she was quoted as saying, was the balance of some P26 million that DSWD had been distributing to farmers and fishermen in Northern Samar since last week.

Aguilar and her driver Goco declined to be interviewed.

Leticia Diokno, DSWD regional director, on Tuesday said the robbery was an “unfortunate” incident. She said the money was for at least 4,000 fishermen and farmers from the towns of Lavezares, Bobon and Catarman in Northern Samar.

Diokno said the money would be replenished. She said, however, that Aguilar faces an investigation for breach of protocol for failing to deposit the P8 million to the regional office. Aguilar did not inform Diokno she was carrying P8 million of DSWD funds that she brought home.

Planning

In an interview, Boco and Agcang admitted involvement in the robbery but also pointed to the driver, Goco, as the mastermind.

The two said that on Sunday night, Goco, a neighbor, informed them that he and Aguilar would be bringing P8 million to the regional office on Monday morning.

“He was the one who informed us about it. He planned it all. With such a huge amount, how could I not be tempted?” said Boco, who has been in police service for 24 years, in an interview in his cell at the CIDG compound here.

Boco said he, Acgang, Goco and the third suspect planned the robbery Saturday night inside his house. Goco also lives in Barangay 64 where Boco and Acgang live.

Yamon, however, said police would file charges only against Boco and Acgang since they planned to use Goco as a state witness.