Robbery, mischief charges filed vs basag-kotse suspects
Three counts each of robbery and malicious mischief charges were slapped against five members of the notorious basag-kotse gang.
Jaro Police Station chief Chief Insp. Orly Gabinete said that they filed the case against Arwin Morilla, 28; Francisco Reyes, 32, and; Benjamin Salvacion, 38, all residents of Silway, Brgy. West, Gen. Santos City; Faustino Lumaniog, 38, of Libmanan Camarines Sur and; Jade Cariño, 29, of Landheights Tambo Brgy Sabang, Lipa City yesterday afternoon before the Iloilo City Prosecution Office.
Apart from robbery and malicious mischief raps, Cariño was also charged for position of counterfeit bills.
Cariño, the group’s leader, was yielded with fake P1,000 and P100 bills during his arrest.
The five suspects were arrested five hours after conducting their basag-kotse binge in Jaro and Mandurriao districts.
They were collared inside Room 202 of Moritz Hotels at Lopez Jaena St., Jaro, Iloilo City.
Apparently, it was the suspects’ complacency that finally nailed them.
Police got hold of the suspects’ whereabouts after reports of the presence of a blue Isuzu Trooper with plate number GRH-257 parked in front of the hotel.
In a follow-up operation, members of Jaro Police Station led by Chief Insp. Orly Gabinete and the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) Intelligence Section led by Senior Insp. Malong opened the vehicle and saw several bags and laptops discovered inside the vehicle.
Recovered from their possession and control were four laptops, power point projector, assorted jewelries, wallets, cash amounting to P2,419, and a Samsung digital camera.
Meanwhile, PNP Regional Director Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas said that it is highly possible that someone is behind the group.
He already tasked Regional Intelligence Division chief Senior Supt. Cornelio Defensor to look into the financier and local contacts of the group.
Defensor, for his part, said that they are still collating reports to ascertain the group’s financier.
