Lucena City shaken by daring bank robbery; 3 guards killed

LUCENA CITY—Three bank guards were about to board an armored van when seven men wielding assault firearms suddenly alighted from a Toyota Revo and shot them. Two were killed on the spot while the third died in the hospital.

Another guard, who was posted at the bank entrance, returned fire to stop the gunmen from entering the premises, forcing them to hurriedly escape.

Although the heist was aborted, the brazenness of Thursday afternoon’s criminal attempt at the United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) branch in front of the Saint Ferdinand Cathedral at the heart of Lucena City’s commercial district has shaken most residents.

Suddenly, Quezon’s capital is no longer safe, or so they believe, as the shooting took place a block away from police headquarters.

Mayor Ruby Talaga has recommended the immediate replacement of Supt. Ramon Balauag, the city’s police chief for over a year, but Senior Supt. Valeriano de Leon, police provincial director, has yet to act on it.

“We’re in the middle of the investigation. I will act on her request in due time,” De Leon said.

Facebook video

A video clip taken with a cell phone camera showed the three guards—Joel Barrameda, Roland Consigna and Marlo de Guzman—on the way to the hospital. After it was uploaded on the Facebook page of “Pasayahan sa Lucena,” furious comments ensued, blaming the police for rising criminality in the city.

Some defended the lawmen and called on the public to stay vigilant against criminals. One of them, Luisito Zoleta Guinto, appealed for sobriety and urged viewers to “wait for results of the police investigation.”

Balauag brushed aside the charges. “Compared to last year, the city crime rate this year is much lower,” he said.

“The bank guards committed serious security lapses,” Balauag said. Quoting other guards, he said the armored van had already been under “suspicious surveillance” for the past few days.

Citing witnesses, he said the passengers of the Toyota Revo had been monitoring bank activities from the parking lot inside the church compound right across the street.

Inside job?

“We also found out that one of the slain guards was carrying a cell phone, which is a serious violation among armored van guards,” Balauag said.

He would not categorically say the robbery attempt was an inside job. But he added: “We’re looking into that angle.”

According to the police report, the bank’s officials had yet to confirm if the gunmen were able to take off with several duffel bags of money inside the van.

CCTV project

The getaway vehicle was later found by authorities abandoned in Purok Riverside, Barangay Ibabang Dupay, a kilometer away. Police traced the owner as one Reynaldo Cruz of San Mateo town in Rizal.

Bong Diaz, executive assistant to Mayor Talaga, said 14 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras would be installed in strategic areas to address the problem of rising criminality. Two more cameras would be placed at the monitoring center at City Hall.

“We want to strengthen the capability of our law enforcers in maintaining peace and order,” he said.

Bidding for the project worth P12 million will be held this month.

Diaz said the cameras would also monitor traffic flow around the city to prevent the buildup of grid locks.