Locksmith says, 'Kingkong,' Tans made him open vault
Iloilo -- The plot now thickens and the surrounding events even more 'juicier' in the robbery complaint filed by prominent Filipino-Chinese businesswoman Conchita Tan. With some P4.2 million in reported loot, the respondents and prime suspects of Tan were Police Superintendent Renato Gumban, regional chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and three family members of the Zayco clan, in-laws of murdered businessman Francisco "Bobby" Tan.
Yet with more witnesses now rounded up, accounts gathered by the CIDG as presented before the Iloilo City Prosecutor's Office revealed testimonies that drags the complainant herself and other Tan family members into the fray.
In a report, The News Today (TNT) got the confirmation of a sworn statement executed by a local locksmith who admitted to have forced open at least two vaults owned by the victim. And he did it allegedly under orders of one Tan family member, his participation realized after "Kingkong" came to get him. Alias Kingkong he told probers is an incumbent barangay kagawad of Barangay Nonoy, Iloilo City.
His efforts got him a total of P4,300 in payment, P2,500 first given when he allegedly managed to drill a safety vault and break its lock combination. The vault he said was located inside the office of Bobby Tan in a store along De Leon-Mabini streets. The second incident was done in the very master's bedroom where the killings occurred. Using the same electric drill, he again managed to force open the safety vault and was paid P1,800.
Asked on specifics on what he saw, the 43 year-old locksmith said the office vault was opened by one of the victim's sons using a key. Later he recalled seeing the son "carrying a big bag which he earlier brought from the mansion." Same bag he added that was earlier empty but when taken out of the office, "I observed that the bag was full of its contents."
He then went with the rest of the family including the complainant herself and supposedly proceeded to the house of lawyer Leonardo Jiz in one subdivision.
The second request for him to open the vault inside the master's bedroom initially met a hitch with police securing the room being a crime scene. Yet when authorities were gone, he was then asked to resume his task in the presence of more family members.
The second vault he disclosed, contained documents reason why Conchita Tan allegedly remarked "Papeles ma lang ni tanan (These are mere papers)."
The robbery complaint docketed as Information Sheet (I.S.) no. 346-06 is awaiting resolution alongside child abuse raps also faced by same respondents.
Such, as murder and parricide raps await preliminary investigation now held in abeyance pending results of the parallel probe conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).