• At gunpoint, the two declared hold-up and took off with some P30,000

A construction supply warehouse in Molo, Iloilo City was robbed twice in a span of 35 days yesterday, police said.

Not only the robbers picked the same target, a number of incidents akin to the first incident occurred.

For one, the perpetrators staged the robbery at Steel Gold Construction Supply located at Timawa Avenue on broaddaylight.

They also used a taxi as their getaway vehicle.

But unlike the first robbery on October 8 where a customer was the victim, the suspects, this time, preyed on the firm itself.

According to Chief Inspector Jay Malong, Molo police chief, two persons went inside the store at around 11:30 a.m.

At gunpoint, the two declared hold-up and took off with some P30,000.

They then boarded to a waiting cab with a driver and another look-out.

Witnesses were able to get the cab's plate number (FWX115) and initially claimed that it was a GDR Taxi.

Shortly later, the taxi driven by William Cordova was intercepted at La Paz district.

However, it was not a GDR Taxi but a unit of the Solomon Taxi Services.

Yet, "Cordova is not off-the-hook. Witnesses might have mistaken it to GDR because both are Avanza units," Malong said.

They also did not believe Cordova's alibi that he was waiting for passengers at a mall in Mandurriao district for more than two hours.

"He claimed to be there since 9:00 in the morning and had a passenger at 11:32. It's quite inconsistent considering that the mall opens at 10 a.m.," Malong said.

As of now, police are looking into Cordova's involvement in some cases in Iloilo City.

"We also have leads on his possible cohorts," Malong added.

Last October 8, three unidentified robbers escaped with P68,000 cash and valuables from a woman who just transacted business at Steel Gold.

Cleofelyn Rose dela Cruz, 33, in-charge of the finances of AWI Construction Supply based in Pototan, Iloilo, which is owned by her uncle, Aurelio Piabol, was standing in front of Steel Gold when a man approached her.

The man then pointed a gun at the victim and declared a holdup and forcibly took her handbag containing the P68,000 cash collection of AWI.

With two other men who served as back-up, the robber boarded a taxi bearing a sign 'Strong Right Taxi,' and fled to East Timawa, Molo and bounded to Iloilo City.

BROAD DAYLIGHT HEIST

Aside from the two incidents, robbers are apparently keen on doing their stuff at broad daylight.

Last October 17, three armed robbed Danao Dragon J Poultry Farm, Inc. located at Sto. Rosario Building at the busy street of Ledesma in City Proper district, Iloilo City.

They fled carrying their loot amounting to about P60,000 and two mobile phones owned by employees.

Last September 1, two persons armed with a knife and handgun casually walked into the office Susie Star Tours, Inc. and nonchalantly walked away with P120,000.

More than before that, two persons also staged a daring broad day light robbery at Western Union remittance center, which is just across the COMPAC outpost on the busy Benigno Aquino Jr. Ave. in Mandurriao.

The robbers declared a hold-up and then walked away just as casually.

The suspects fled with their P200,000 loot almost as if nothing had happened, while the lone security guard did nothing to raise the alarm and inform the authorities about the crime.*