Eastern Samar mayor lauds cop for arrest of 4Ps fund robbery suspects

TACLOBAN CITY, Jan. 25 (PNA) -– The local government of Dolores, Eastern Samar commended the efforts of the local police for the arrest of the three suspects in the heist of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) funds.

Mayor Emiliana Villacarillo said that it is commendable that cops immediately nabbed robbery suspects for carting away PHP1.2 million funds for the poverty alleviation programs of the government under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“Those money were badly needed by poor families in Maslog town,” Villacarillo, the Eastern Samar mayor’s league president said in a mobile phone interview.

The robbery incident took place in Bonghon village on January 20 near the Dolores town port while the team from a cooperative were on board in motorized banca.

The team was en route to Maslog town for the scheduled off-site pay-out of 4Ps beneficiaries for October to November 2015.

Along the way to Maslog, the boat that carried the suspects, who were wearing bonnets with firearms blocked their boat and boarded it immediately, announcing hold-up.

The suspects searched and forcefully took the bag that contained the money from one of the victims.

DSWD Regional Director Resty Macuto said in a press statement that the agency has made earlier arrangements with local government units as to the security of staff and others who are involved in the distribution of cash grants.

The DSWD regional office is also coordinating with Pantawid Pamilya’s conduit, National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCO), to provide the needed amount and to re-schedule the pay-out such that the cash grants will be given to the concerned 524 households at the soonest possible time.

NATCO and its merchant, Benabaye Multipurpose Cooperative (BMPC) already filed a case against the suspects who are now in jail.

The office condemned the said act, stressing that the cash grants are for the identified poorest of the poor households, particularly to be spent on the children’s health and educational needs.

Macuto assured that those who will be found guilty will be justly punished.

The team was composed of Geraldine Rufin, 24, from Merida, Leyte; Raymar Cuyos, 25, from Ormoc City; and Janet Bula, 32, from Borongan City.

Police Regional Office spokesman Chief Insp. Ma. Bella D. Rentuaya identified the suspects as Ronilo Rivera, Benjamin Bagas, and Rolito Amongo, residents of Borongan City.

Authorities arrested them in Malaintos Village in Dolores, Eastern Samar few hours after the incident.

The two suspects pointed Amongo as the mastermind of the said robbery because his wife works as an employee of the DSWD office in Borongan.

Rentuaya said that recovered from the suspects were a motorcycle, motorized banca, calibre. 45 pistols with one magazine, six live ammunitions, three mobile phones, and cash amounting to PHP 654,000.

She said the local police prepared to file charges against Rivera and Bagas for robbery and violation of the election gun ban while the case for robbery was filed against the mastermind Amongo.

The suspects claimed that PHP 546,000 heist money fell into Dolores River during the hot pursuit, that’s why only PHP 654,000 was recovered from them after arrest.

Villacarillo felt bad that the robbery happened in her town and was sorry for 4Ps beneficiaries in Maslog town. (PNA)

FFC/SQM/VICKY C. ARNAIZ