The Bacolod City Police released yesterday the pictures of seven of the 12 suspects in the in the hold-up of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative where P3.6 million in cash set to be picked up by an armored vehicle for bank deposit was taken Friday.

City Police Director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz said that, of the seven suspects, two were identified as Reynaldo Bacolod “alias Toto,” “Jay Mira” of Las Piñas City, and Joseph Calarmo, based on the police Rogues’ Gallery.

De la Paz said they are members of the Ozamis-Dipolog Robbery Group that has links with the Kuratong Baleleng Gang and the Parohinog Robbery Group.

He said the suspects’ faces were captured by the closed circuit television cameras of their rented place in Bacolod City, that had served as their hideout since February 27.

Investigation showed that Reynaldo Bacolod is also involved in the robbery of Prudential Bank and of the Equitable-PCI Bank in Parañaque City on February 14, and February 23, 2003, respectively.

Police intelligence reports showed that the group that robbed CENECO also planned to rob one of the branches of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. in Bacolod City, but it did not push through, De la Paz said.

He also said that the same group is believed to be behind the robbery of Eastwest Bank in Iloilo City in January 2010, where P13 million in cash was taken,

The suspects used three motorcycles and a Hi-lux van as get-away vehicle after the robbery in CENECO, police records showed.

When the Bacolod Police checked with the Land Transportation Office, they found that one of the motorcycles, with plate number JI 9503, was registered in the name of Gerardo Saniel of Molave town, while the other one, with plate number JM7523, was registered in the name of Ben Luzana of Manayag, both in Zamboanga del Sur.

The black Toyota Hi-lux, meanwhile, is registered in the name of Eduardo Dayondon of Tancia, also of Zamboanga del Sur.

Reports also showed that the suspects went to CENECO hours after the robbery and asked several bystanders about the ongoing investigation.

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said the incident at CENECO was an isolated case but it does not mean that business establishments in the city should be complacent.

Leonardia called on the business establishments to strengthen their security measures so they will not suffer the same fate as CENECO.*APN

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