At least three unidentified men held up the Botica Real in Daro, Dumaguete City, at around 9 a.m. yesterday and took about P100,000 in cash.

Police reports said the suspects, armed with short firearms of undetermined calibers, announced the hold-up and fled with the cash on board a motorcycle, witnesses said. Hot pursuit operations by the city police failed to catch up with the suspects.

The Botica Real is located across the street from the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital and is usually teeming with people.

Supt. Crisaleo Tolentino, Dumaguete police chief, said the suspects’ faces were in full view and they allegedly introduced themselves as members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

The Dumaguete police chief said he is optimistic that a video recording of the incident on Closed Circuit Television will help the police in their investigation.

Tolentino said he has instructed that photo grabs of the CCTV recording be printed.

He also said he believes the heist was perpetrated by “professionals” because of the manner in which it was carried out.*JFP

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