‘Termite gang’ robs more than P1.5M from Bacoor bank

A bank in Bacoor, Cavite was the recent victim of a "termite gang" that took away more than P1.5 million from its vault and automated teller machine on the last banking day of 2014.

A report on 24 Oras on Monday showed that the suspects got inside an Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation branch along Aguinaldo highway in Bacoor, Cavite through a hole under one of the bank's desks. A guard discovered the bank had been ransacked a little after 8 a.m. Monday.



The gang opened the ATM and took away all its contents. It also made a hole on the side of the bank's vault.

A portion of the ceiling was left open, possibly to disable the bank's alarm system. The suspects also covered the bank's closed circuit television camera.

How did they get in? A small hole was found in a vacant lot more than a hundred meters from the bank. The authorities said that the hole leads to a bigger manhole where they found clothes and pieces of wood that may have been left by the suspects.

Based on how the place was robbed, the police said the incident was planned very well.

"Kung titignan natin ng maigi 'yung execution, perfect 'yung execution. Napakaganda at very professional 'yung pagpasok sa loob ng bangko," Bacoor Police Chief Supt. Rommel Estolano explained.

Although the authorities have yet to identify the suspects, they are already naming the "termite gang" as the ones behind the crime based on the execution.

A hydraulic jack and other equipment were used to rob the bank.

Bacoor police said that they warned the banks in the area about possible robbery four months ago. Instead of amplifying security measures, especially at night, most of the banks remained reliant only on CCTV cameras.

RCBC has already confirmed the incident.

"We have confirmed that there had been a case of burglary in our Bacoor branch. No one has been hurt in the incident. At the moment, the bank's security personnel are in close coordination with the authorities led by some scene of the crime operatives, as they conduct their investigation of the matter," it said in a statement. — Trisha Macas/BM, GMA News