JONG CADION
Chief of reporters
City Police Chief Parson Asadil has declared that he will file a case against a town treasurer and several people who allegedly conspired in a phony robbery incident a few weeks ago.
Asadil was referring to the noontime hold-up incident last Dec. 12 at a certain eatery along Rizal Avenue, in which Guipos treasurer Vivian Alicos, her assistant and an unnamed driver were reported as the victims.
Quoting from their investigation report, Asadil said that Alicos and company were with two police escorts that day and went to Land Bank of the Philippines to withdraw P2.3-million.
The money, accordingly, is for the yearend salaries and bonus of Guipos employees.
Asadil continued to narrate that while at the bank, the two police escorts were told to accompany several DepEd personnel in going to the DepEd office in Dao.
In their submitted affidavits, the two unnamed police escorts said that while on the way back to the bank, Alicos sent them a text message telling them to come to Alindahaw Hotel.
Not finding Alicos and company in Alindahaw Hotel when they arrived, the police escorts inquired on the whereabouts of the treasurer and was told to proceed to the eatery, a few meters away.
Asadil said he found this story interesting since it was only the driver who gave his statement to the police since Alicos and her assistant refused to give any after the incident.
Put into record in the police blotter was the driver’s account that three unidentified muggers tried to grab the bag containing the money from Alicos, who was even nearly choked to death while she struggles with the holduppers.
The blotter continued that when the driver tried to help in the commotion, one of the holduppers poke a .45 caliber at him.
What made Asadil more doubtful was that a week after the incident, Alicos’ husband purportedly interceded and requested that the statement of the driver be retracted and replaced with the statement that it was Vivian who was poked with a .45 caliber pistol.
“I did not grant his request because the driver’s statement was already put into record,” Asadil told MINDANAO MONITOR.
For his part, Police Provincial Director Ramon Ochotorena said he will file administrative charges against the two police escorts while the treasurer will face charges of negligence and be classified as possibly involved in the conspiracy of the crime.
Ochotorena earlier divulged to media the personalities of the suspects but requested that their descriptions and identities be withheld for the meantime pending their arrests.
This paper failed to get the statements of the Alicos couple.