DPWH Engineers Fall Prey to Armed Robbers

LEGAZPI CITY (26 May) -- FOUR ENGINEERS and a driver, part of a six-man inspection team from the Quality Control Division of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Central office were reported to have been robbed by armed men at a local hotel in downtown Naga City, with some P 246,000 worth of electronic equipment, cell phones, personal belongings and cash were carted away by the suspects.

In a report by Police Sr. Supt. Jacinto Culver Nasol Sison, chief of Naga Police Office, to the PNP regional police office in Camp Simon Ola here on Tuesday, (May 25) armed men broke into the hotel room of the DPWH engineers at 5:00 A.M on Tuesday, at Sampaguita Tourist Inn, at Barangay San Francisco, Naga City, carting away lap-tops containing records of inspected projects in Bikol, cell phones, jewelleries and declared pocket-money worth some P16,000 in cash.

Naga Police investigator PO2 Norman M. Borbe identified the engineers billeted at room 306 of Sampaguita Tourist Inn as Jose De Ramon Ginoo, 62, of Tabaco, Albay; Estanislao Aryenda Barcelon, 61, of Legazpi City; Carlos Padilla Tibura, 55, Maycauyan, Bulacan; and Hanzel Barles Samson, 37, Sta. Maria Bulacan.

It was reported that suspects poked Cal. 45 pistols on the victims and tied them with packaging tapes during the progress of the robbery.

DPWH Bikol Director Danilo Manalang at the regional office on Tuesday stated that the inspection team was on a site inspection of completed projects in Bikol provinces, sent by DPWH Acting Secretary Domingo.

The Naga PNP are now investigating how the armed robbers had entered the hotel and gained information on the whereabouts of the DPWH inspection team. (SONNY SALES)