PRO 7’s Chief Supt. Patrocinio Commendador Jr. talks to Central Visayas’ top most wanted man Michael Florida. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
The most wanted criminal in Central Visayas was arrested last Thursday night by operatives of the Regional Special Operations Group Central Visayas (RSOG-7) in Linamon town, Lanao del Norte, Northern Mindanao.
Michael Florida, 33, of Ozamis City in Mindanao, didn’t resist arrest when a team headed by Supt. George Ylanan, RSOG-7 chief surprised him inside his heavily gated house and served four pending warrants of arrest for robberies Florida allegedly perpetuated in Central Visayas.
These included the P5.5 million Mygold heist and the P1.6 million E-bingo Mandaue City robbery last year.
“Medyo bukid jud ni siya nagtago. Di pod kaayo ta magkompyansa so nagpakuyog pod mi og SAF (Special Action Forces) troopers (He went into hiding in a mountainous area. We didn’t take any chances so we asked to be accompanied by SAF troopers),” said Ylanan.
Ylanan said that they had to negotiate a hilly path around three kilometers from the highway to reach Florida’s house which was surrounded by a high fence and a gate.
He said that they were able to enter the house together with their SAF counterparts and surprised Florida inside.
“Wala na ni siya nakasukol namo kay nakalitan (He was not able to fight back as he was caught off guard),” said Ylanan.
Residents in the area told Ylanan that Florida introduced himself as a seaman to explain his wealth and several fighting cocks he raised.
Recovered from his posession were a .45 caliber pistol and 37 live bullets.
Ylanan said that for three days, an intelligence team led by Senior Insp. Ruel Burlat, was deployed to monitor and confirm the presence of Florida in the municipality.
A separate team led by Ylanan with Supt. Rex Derilo, chief of the Regional Intelligence Division (RID) of PRO-7, left Cebu on Thursday morning to serve the warrants on the night of the same day.
Florida has been tagged as the leader of the group responsible for the Mygold robbery in April 2015 where the pawnshop lost around P5.5 million worth of jewelry. He has also been identified as the leader of the group who robbed the E-bingo in Mandaue taking around P1.6 million worth of cash in March last year.
Ylanan said that the group was also behind the Oro China robbery in Tagbilaran and an E-Bingo Boutique in Dumaguete City.
He said that Florida’s whereabouts was monitored after the arrest of his cohort, Richard Daguman, in November last year.
Derilo, for his part, said that with the arrest of Florida, the Top 10 Most Wanted Criminals in Central Visayas are now down to six men.
These are Elmer Melencion, who is wanted for murder, Ramil Dungog for robbery, Alfredo Bequilla for robbery and frustrated murder, Dionesio Juarez for murder, Eric Empaso for murder and Dondon Tonacao for robbery charges.
Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Roy Kyamko, security consultant of Metro Retail Stores Group Inc. who own MyGold Pawnshop, welcomed the arrest of Florida.
“Frankly, I thought that this was already left behind and police had already forgot about it. But silently they have been working that led to the arrest of Florida,” Kyamko told Cebu Daily News in a separate interview.
Incoming Cebu City Mayor Tommy Osmena also congratulated Ylanan and his team for the Florida’s arrest in a Facebook post.