6 employees of robbed Cebu pawnshop to face lie detector test

Employees and security guards of a pawn shop that was robbed last weekend may face a lie detector test after investigators suspect a possible inside job in the incident.

Cebu City police have asked the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct the tests on four employees and two guards, GMA Cebu's Chona Carreon reported Wednesday.

Cebu City authorities have also started coordinating with Mindanao police to get leads on the suspected robbers.

Among those who may face a lie detector test are My Gold Pawnshop's supervisor, vault custodian and two cashiers, and two security guards.

Investigators also said their initial assessment of closed-circuit television footage suggested the guards may have acted suspiciously.

Police also said the robbers' actions indicate they have a contact from within the establishment.

"Meron tayong nakita na kaduda-dudang mga kilos prior pumasok sila. Kaya inirekomenda natin na isailalim ang mga mobile phone at ang mga tao sa forensic exam ng Anti-Cybercrime (Unit)," said Senior Superintendent Paul Labra II, head of the Regional Intelligence Division.

Earlier, a report by GMA Cebu's Vic Serna said police had tagged four men in the robbery last Saturday.

The employees included the vault custodian, cashier a staff member, and the guard from the Evergreen Security Agency. They rolled down the door while preparing the store.

CCTV footage showed the guard helping clean the store was looking outside from time to time before the incident.

Three men suddenly barged into the store, disarmed the guard, and ransacked the place. One of the suspects appeared to have difficulty carrying the sack containing the stolen items.

After exiting the establishment, the suspects locked the employees inside. A witness said there were four suspects who escaped aboard two waiting motorcycles.

Suspect identified

One of the suspects in the robbery was identified as Michael Florida a.k.a. Budlat, who was also tagged in a robbery of an e-Bingo establishment in Mandaue City.

The police also said their information indicated the four suspected robbers had fled Cebu.

Authorities are working with their counterparts in Mindanao to determine the whereabouts of the four, who they suspect to be members of the Alferez robbery group. — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News