Possible getaway vehicle used in Cebu pawnshop robberies found

Police examine one of the motorcycles allegedly used as a getaway vehicle by armed men who robbed two pawnshops in downtown Cebu City. CDN Digital photo | Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Police took custody of a motorcycle that was abandoned at a parking lot along P. Burgos Street in Cebu City on Friday, August 9, after it was found to resemble one of the getaway vehicles used by robbers of two pawnshop and jewelry stores downtown.

The robbery took place along Calderon Street at past 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 8.

Around six armed men, wearing helmets, barged into two stores while customers were inside and took over P14 million worth of jewelry and cash.

Police Major Philip John Libres, chief of Carbon Police Station, told reporters that they recovered an abandoned motorcycle at around 2 a.m. on Friday.

He stated that the motorcycle was found to be similar to one of the three getaway vehicles that were used by the suspects.

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2 pawnshops in downtown Cebu City robbed in broad daylight

This was based on Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footages retrieved by police from areas where the thieves passed.

Police also recovered a red helmet that was confirmed to have been worn by one of the robbers at the time of the crime.

Libres disclosed that a witness claimed to have seen two individuals disembark the vehicle after parking it at around 11:44 p.m. on Thursday before going separate ways.

One man was said to be carrying a bag and both of them were wearing sweat shirts and helmets.   

Libres said that they will be tracking and checking other CCTV cameras to determine if the individuals transferred to another vehicle.

He also stated that the recovered motorcycle, which does not have a proper license plate, will be subjected to macro-etching to identify the owner. In addition, police will be coordinating with the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

In a separate interview, Cebu City Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said that they have also identified a sports-utility vehicle (SUV) that was also used in the robbery.

As of this writing, a hot-pursuit operation is being conducted to identify and catch the perpetrators.

According to Libres, all police units in the region, as well as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), are working together to solve the case.

Nothing unusual

On the day of the robbery, the neighboring establishments were entertaining customers when armed men suddenly arrived.

Libres narrated that other vendors in the area said that they did not notice anything unusual until the suspects pulled off the robbery.

He stated that a spotter possibly gave the suspects the go-signal.

Moments before the robbery, beat patrollers assigned at the area left to conduct roving in a different location. The perpetrators found this as the perfect time to strike. 

A CCTV footage from one of the stores showed three suspects stuffing the jewelry in the display case into bags while two others stood watch by the sidewalk.

They then moved to the store next door and carted an estimated total of P14,000,000 worth of jewelry and cash from both pawnshops.

Libres disclosed that the perpetrators used three motorcycles as getaway vehicles. Two of the vehicles made a turn at Lincoln Street while another one went south.

Suspects identified?

As part of their investigation, police also questioned the security guard of one of the stores involved.

Libres said that the guard was eating at the time and did not have his firearm in his possession.

Both pawnshops also lacked alarm systems, which could have aided to a quicker police response, he added.

Police Colonel Antonietto Cañete, acting city director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), earlier said that they have identified one of the suspects.

On Friday, Cebu City acting mayor Garcia said that at least two robbers have been identified.

Because of their use of the Filipino language, police are also checking the possibility that the suspects of the planned heist are not from Cebu.

While the hunt continues, local police have coordinated with police in other parts of the region to monitor sea ports.

Libres further disclosed that there are signs that suggest that one of the robbers on Thursday was involved in the robbery of another pawnshop in the city last November 25, 2023.

It can be recalled that four armed men, posing as NBI agents, stole jewelry from a store along Colon street.

The incident caused a stir among the residents and police eventually filed charges against six suspects. The alleged mastermind, however, was released due to insufficient evidence.

Libres said that this new robbery showed a similar modus operandi to the previous incident last year.

While he opted not to comment on the acting mayor’s order to solve the crime in 48 hours, Libres assured that they are doing everything they can to solve it as soon as possible.

He added that their efforts include the possible recovery of the millions worth of stolen goods.

“Mao gyud ta atong gipaningkamotan. Atoang focus sa investigation is pagsolve sa krimen, apil na gyud na ang pagrecover sa mga items,” stated Libres.

The police chief also asked for the help of the public to immediately report any information that could assist in the investigation.

Following this incident, Libres advised business owners to increase their security measures aside from installing CCTV cameras.

In Cebu City, there are now double the amount of police officers compared to before roaming the streets to prevent criminal activities. | with Marielle Surigao, CTU Intern