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THE top police brass has ordered a wider manhunt for those
responsible for those responsible for the bloody Cabuyao bank
robbery case.
In a statement, Philippine National Police Chief
Director Gen. Avelino Razon said he also ordered all police unit
commanders to personally supervise police visibility and patrol
operations on the streets to guard against criminal elements.
“It is not enough that police personnel are
downloaded from the headquarters to the police stations, they must
also be properly deployed and supervised,” he said.
Razon has ordered the relief of the Cabuyao
police chief, Supt. Moises Pagaduan, who has been reassigned to the
Regional Headquarters of Police Regional Office 4A (Calabarzon) in
Calamba City. He will be replaced by Chief Inspector Wenceslao Anore
as officer in charge of Cabuyao Police Station.
Pagaduan had jurisdiction over the security
matters relating to the May 16 bank robbery of the Cabuyao branch of
the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC).
At Camp Crame, Razon convened a conference on
the bank robbery on Sunday with police officials from Task Force
RCBC led by Regional 4A Director, Chief Supt. Ricardo Padilla, and
regional officers of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group,
Traffic Management Group, the Crime Laboratory, the Civil Security
Group and the Laguna Police Provincial Office.
Razon expressed confidence that the
investigation will reach a significant breakthrough very soon, as he
assessed some positive leads and evidence that had been gathered by
investigators.
While the Task Force RCBC case conference was
ongoing, Padilla broke the news of the death of Isagani Pastor at 10
a.m. at the St. James Hospital in Calamba City. Pastor, an RCBC
employee, was also shot in the head by the bank robbers. He was the
tenth casualty of the incident.
Investigators were expecting to gather vital
information from Pastor being the lone survivor in the incident.
“We are saddened by this latest development,
particularly the death of Mr. Isagani Pastor this morning. But let
me assure that this will not diminish our resolve in pursuing the
case and getting the perpetrators of this heinous crime,” Razon
said.
During the conference, Razon instructed all
police regional directors to provide all available assistance to the
police forces of Calabarzon in the manhunt operation for the
suspects.
Razon also ordered police unit commanders to
establish checkpoint operations even during daytime, especially
during banking hours. Chiefs of police were ordered to come out of
their offices and personally lead these operations.
In the aftermath of Friday’s bank robbery,
Razon immediately ordered police regional directors to re-implement
the security clustering system in areas with bank branches and other
commercial establishments. Under the security clustering system, a
police team under a supervisor will be assigned to provide security
in these clustered areas.
-- Maricel V. Cruz
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