Five men who were arrested for the J Centre Mall robbery said they did not have money to pay their bail set at P100,000 each. | Norman Mendoza
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – The five arrested suspects in the J Centre Mall heist were already transferred to the Mandaue City Jail this afternoon, October 28, 2019, after they failed to post bail of P100, 000 each for their temporary liberty.
Roel Suminguit, 35; Jun Batanguso Candelaria, 38; Julivyn Quirante, 43; Arnel Cimafranca, 38; and James Anthony Gamaya Gomez, 44, will remain detained while the robbery charge against them is being heard in court.
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Cimafranca told CDN Digital that he did not have money for his bail while he also expressed fear for his security.
“Dili mi ka pyansa sir kay wala gyud intawon mi kwarta,” said Cimafranca.
(We can’t afford to post bail because we don’t have the money for it).
Cimafranca also denied knowing Clarin town, Misamis Occidental Mayor David Navarro, who was killed in an ambush in Cebu City on Friday afternoon, October 25. Navarro, whose name appears on the President’s narcolist, is also being tagged as leader of a robbery group from Mindanao.
Read More: Clarin Mayor David Navarro shot dead in Cebu City
Cimafranca said that was his first time to join the robbery group that took millions worth of cash and jewelry from jewelry stores and a money changing shop that were operating on the ground floor of the J Centre Mall in Mandaue City.
His task was to break the glass container of the jewelry, the reason why he sustained a cut on his right wrist.
All of the five suspects were brought to the Mandaue City Prosecutor’s Office past 1 p.m. today for the issuance of their commitment order. They were later on brought to the City Health Office to undergo medical checkup before they were formally transferred to the Mandaue City Jail.
Read More: Rob group leader among four killed; five others arrested in Bogo, Sogod
Personnel from the Mobile Patrol Group (MPG) and the Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) escorted the accused during their transfer.
Colonel Jonathan Abella, MCPO chief, said he ordered the deployment of security escorts to ensure the security of the accused while in police custody.
Abella said that he did not want the five men to suffer the same fate as Mayor Navarro.
Read More: Who is slain Clarin Mayor Navarro and why was he in Cebu City
“This (the J Centre Mall robbery) is considered a high profile case that’s why we are providing security for their safety while they are in our custody,” said Abella. / dcb