CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 2 Aug)—Millions of pesos worth of gold jewelry were stolen in a brazen daylight robbery of a jewelry store located in a busy market district area here Wednesday morning.
A store employee was slightly injured after the robbers armed with caliber .45 pistols and an M4 Carbine stormed the entrance of Gold Mega Jewelry Store Along J.R. Borja Street in Barangay 29 near Cogon Market.
Col. Ivan Viñas, spokesperson of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office, said closed-circuit TV showed the six armed robbers running out of the jewelry store and rode on waiting motorcycles, fleeing towards the Divisoria area in the city.
Store employee Judith Abejuela, 57, was rushed to Maria Reyna Hospital where she was declared out of danger.
Viñas said the owner of Gold Mega Jewelry Store told police the robbers took P9 million in gold jewelry.
“We are conducting an investigation right now, especially on the report that one of the suspects was armed with an M4 Carbine, a military-issued rifle,” he said.
The daylight robbery came after the police went on high alert as city officials launched “Higalaay Festival,” the month-long festival held in Cagayan de Oro in celebration of the feast day of St. Augustine, patron saint of the city, on August 28.
Viñas said the six heavily armed robbers came shortly after Gold Mega Jewelry Store opened for business at 10 a.m. and pulled out their guns. He said the store employees resisted at first and did not open the door, prompting the robbers to fire their guns.
“The robber with the M4 Carbine fired at the padlock, breaking it open,” Viñas said.
He said once inside the store, the gunmen ordered the personnel to lie on the floor while they smashed the cabinets and grabbed several pieces of jewelry.
The six suspects fled on two motorcycles—a red Honda XRM with plate number 940 and a black Yamaha Mio with plate number 8410.
Police are also looking for a silver or gray Toyota Wigo with plate number 6068, which served as a lookout vehicle. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)
