Two men were caught in a CCTV footage robbing a coffee shop in Salinas Drive, Lahug, Cebu City on Tuesday, October 31, 2023. | Contributed photo via Emmariel Ares
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines – The lead robber and one of his two cohorts who victimized a coffee shop along Salinas Drive, Lahug, Cebu City on Tuesday, October 31, have been arrested by the police.
The main suspect identified as Arvin Malolot who was seen in the footage wearing a white, hooded jacket and pointing a gun at the cashier was arrested by elements of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) in Barangay Centro at around 9 a.m.
MCPO Deputy City Director for Administration and Spokesperson Police Lieutenant Colonel Franco Rudolf Oriol said that their intelligence unit was able to locate the robber after they received information from concerned citizens and a few of the suspect’s acquaintances.
The arrest was conducted in cooperation with the Police Station 4 of the Cebu City Police Office.
READ: One of two suspects in coffee shop robbery in Cebu City nabbed
“Gikan sa pagkahitabo, nianha sila dinhi, nagtago-tago sa atoang siyudad, sa ila ra pod kaila, luckily nakakuha og sakto nga impormasyun ang city inteligence unit tungod pod sa mga information nga gi-share sa Cebu City Police Office, maong na-locate dinhi sa siyudad, sila Colonel Alarcon, atoang mga operatiba sa city intelligence unit mao gyuy naka-aresto sa atoang suspetsado,” said Oriol.
Malolot did not give a statement when asked by the media but Oriol said he admitted to the crime during police interrogation.
Oriol said that they would conduct an initial debriefing of the suspected robber to know about the gun he used during the robbery.
Malolot will be turned over by the Mandaue City Police Office to the Cebu City Police Office for the filing of appropriate charges.
Another robber identified as Cyrus John Rallos was also arrested by the Cebu City Police Office in his house in Barangay Kamputhaw at 10:30 p.m on Tuesday.
According to investigators, Rallos apparently acted as the group’s getaway driver. The three robbed the coffee shop and one of its customers.
Another suspected robber identified as Jiovanie Lagahit alyas “Banban” remained at large as of this writing.
The suspects were caught by surveillance footage robbing a coffee shop on Tuesday night. The video went viral on social media.
Turned-over to CCPO
The two suspects were brought to CCPO where they will be detained pending the filing of appropriate charges against them on Wednesday afternoon.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Janette Rafter, CCPO Deputy Director for Operations, for her part, urged the third suspect to surrender to authorities.
“Sa inyong tulo, ikaw na lang nagpabilin. So nagkadaghan nuon karon. Atong miaging adaw, tulo pa among gipangita, karon ikaw na lang. So maypag mo-surrender na lang gyud ka sa atong mga kapulisan. Bisag asa nga pulis..og sa barangay, tanod ug sa barangay captain. Kung kinsa pabor nimo nga kompyansado ka, pwede gyud ka mo-surrender,” stated Rafter.
READ: Man robbed in Cebu City just a few minutes after disembarking ship
Customer, not an accomplice
Rafter also clarified that the customer who was seen in the viral video is only a victim of the robbery. Rafter said this to debunk speculations that the customer was an accomplice.
“We would just like to make it clear nga katong bataa is also a victim of that robbery. So dili siya, whatever in any way, wala siyay kalambigitan sa panghitabo. But isa siya ka inosente nga customer nga niadto lang gyud niatong establishmento,” she said.
According to Rafter, the customer could have been in shock and chose not to struggle after seeing the firearm carried by the robber. She added that the person had already filed a complaint at the Mabolo Police Station.
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