Espenido visits MCPO to speak with J Centre Mall robbery suspects

Police Lieutenant Colonel Jovie Espenido (1st row, 2nd from left) meet with the five suspects (second row) in the J Center Mall heist at Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) earlier today, October 28, 2019. | Norman Mendoza

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Police Lieutenant Colonel Jovie Espenido visited the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) earlier today, October 28, 2019, as part of his ongoing investigation of a robbery incident which happened in a mall in Bacolod City a few months ago.

Espenido identified two suspects in J Centre Mall heist as among the 14 men who also robbed jewelry from stores that were located at the Gasisano Grand Mall in Bacolod City.

While he refused to name the two suspects, Espenido said that based on the outcome of his investigation, a total of 18 men planned the mall robbery. But four of them failed to arrive in the area as planned.

Only 14 of them went on with the mall robbery.

Espenido, who was recently assigned as deputy director for operations of the Western Visayas Police Regional Office, visited MCPO to conduct a tactical interrogation of the five arrested suspects of the J Centre Mall heist.

He coordinated his visit with Colonel Jonathan Abella, the MCPO chief.

Espenido spoke with the five J Centre Mall robbery suspects one by one at the Investigation and Detective Management Bureau (IDMB) office at around noontime and before the suspects were brought to the Mandue City Prosecutor’s Office for the issuance for a commitment order against them.

Read More: Suspects in J Centre Mall robbery failed to post bail, sent to Mandaue City Jail

“We will include the rest of them (in our investigation) after we received confirmation today from their colleague,” said Espenido.

In an interview with reporters, Espenido said that he took pictures of the five suspects for documentation. He also advised them to already change their ways and wished them good luck. / dcb