By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – Two persons were arrested for the alleged robbery of two employees of a food supply firm at Hacienda Canman-ug, Barangay Batuan, La Carlota City, Negros Occidental last Tuesday.
Lieutenant Colonel Lowell Garinganao, city police chief, said the victims aged 18 and 24 were on board a delivery van when they were allegedly held-up at gunpoint by Jobert Arbillo, 32, of Calatrava town.
Garinganao said the incident happened while the vehicle was parked on the roadside after driver Jojieboy Ulgasan, 45, of Barangay Estefania here, stopped to urinate in a sugarcane field.
Garinganao said the victims alleged that Arbillo demanded for their cash sales amounting to P70,000.
“Gin pakadto nila sa likod si Arbillo kay didto nila gin tudlo ang kwarta na nakabutang sa bag asta nakabalik na ang driver sa salakyan,” Garinganao said.
But instead of driving the vehicle fast to prevent the suspect from stealing the cash sales, Ulgasan allegedly drove the vehicle slowly until Arbillo was able to reach them again, Garinganao said.
This time, the two victims fought back and grappled for the firearm until they were able to disarm Arbillo.
Garinganao said the victims instructed Ulgasan to secure the firearm, as they hogtied Arbillo.
Garinganao said Ulgasan initially told the police that he threw the firearm at the sugarcane field, but an improvised pistol loaded with a dud 5.56 caliber bullet was later discovered hidden in the van.
“It seems may connection ang driver kag ang suspect kay lain man statement ka driver una parte sa firearm,” Garinganao said, adding that both had the same middle name.
But both of them denied that they are relatives, as Ulgasan claimed that he only knew Arbillo as a tricycle driver in Barangay Estefania, Garinganao said.
Aside from that, Garinganao also suspected the action of Ulgasan when the incident occurred, as he was not able to drive the van fast to flee from the suspects.
Also, it seemed that Arbillo waited for the van to pass by the area, where Ulgasan thought of urinating while they were traveling, Garinganao said.
“Daw planado ang natabo, and not coincidence,” he added.
Garinganao said that robbery hold-up charges will be filed against Ulgasan and Arbillo, while the latter faces an additional case for illegal possession of firearm and ammunition, and violation of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gun ban.
Garinganao said that Ulgasan denied any involvement in the incident.
