Suspected brains of Robinsons robbery nabbed in Zamboanga

Police intelligence agents yesterday arrested the alleged mastermind of the September 2011 daylight robbery of an armored car’s bank teller in Robinson’s mall in Cebu City.

Junjun Cabando, alias Dionisio Cabatingan, was captured at a relative’s house in Sindangan town, Zamboanga del Norte by a joint team of intelligence operatives from Central Visayas and Western Mindanao.

He was brought to Cebu last night.

Police were tipped off by intelligence operatives in Western Mindanao, said Supt. Paul Labra II, Regional Intelligence Division deputy chief for Central Visayas,

Cabando’s live-in partner was also held for questioning by police in Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental. Police are checking if she too has a pending arrest warrant.

Cabando has an arrest warrant for robbery with double homicide, frustrated homicide and physical injuries in connection with the P1.2 million heist, which resulted in the killing of two security guards and three of Cabando’s cohorts.

The money was later recovered intact.

No bail was granted for Cabando by Regional Trial Court Judge Wilfredo Navarro.

Armed men pulled off the heist of a bank teller of Chinabank, who was about to deliver P1.2 million in cash to a money changer outlet inside Robinson’s Place on Sept. 5, 2011.

Three of Cabando’s cohorts – Mario Dapitan, Melecio Quiapo and Antonio Adelan – were killed in a shootout with the police.

Cabando was hit in the buttocks but managed to evade arrest. He was able to leave Cebu and stayed with relatives in Iligan.

Two bank security guards were shot and killed by the robbers while the bank teller, Lewen Surig, was wounded after he was shot in the leg.

The robbers were surprised by the arrival of two Cebu City policemen, who happened to be driving by on their way to the Capitol when they noticed the commotion near the mall as gunshots were fired.

PO2 Elrich Catacutan and PO2 Roy Ceniza of the Mobile Patrol Group pursued the robbers and were wounded in a shootout.

Police later found a brown bag containing P1.2 million intact beside the body of Quiapo on Ranudo Street, about 100 meters from the mall.

Upon learning of Cabando’s arrest, Catacutan said the suspects deserve to be jailed.

Although he does not feel hatred to the person who almost killed him, the police office said Cabando’s arrest should serve a lesson that violating the law has its consequences./Reports from , Chito O. Aragon and Fe Marie D. Dumaboc and INQUIRER