RCBC robbery: Kin of 4 slain suspects cry rubout

MANILA, Philippines - Relatives of the four suspected robbery gang members that were killed in a series of police operations in Batangas Wednesday denied that their kin were involved in the bloody bank robbery in Laguna last Friday. Melinda Magsino, wife of slain suspect Pepito Magsino, on Thursday told GMA news’ 24 Oras that her husband never left their province in May 16, the day armed men held-up the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp branch in Cabuyao, Laguna, and killed 10 people. “Hindi umalis ang asawa ko. Maaga kaming gumising at nagkape. Pumunta kami sa kubo tapos kumain pa siya sa kasalan at bumalik uli sa kubo at nag-inuman dun (My husband never left our province. He even attended a wedding and had a drinking spree with friends)," Mrs Magsino said. Pepito’s brother, Leo, admitted that his sibling had a previous criminal record but said it was not enough to justify killing him. “Siyempre may record ka. Baka ang utos sa itaas ay lahat ng may record ay ipatumba (He had a police record. Maybe there’s an order to liquidate persons with police records)," he said. Magsino was the first casualty in the police operation conducted by the Task Force RCBC late Wednesday evening. The police claimed Magsino engaged them in a firefight and even wounded one SPO1 Bernabe Salazar, who reportedly is in critical condition at a Batangas hospital. In a follow-up operation shortly before dawn Thursday in Pagaspas village in Tanauan City, the operatives killed in an alleged shoot-out village watchmen Romy Lachica and Angelito Malabanan, and former village chieftain Vivencio Javier, believed to be the leader of the gang. The fatalities were believed to be members of the Lucido-Javier-Galica Robbery Holdup Group, which was linked to a series of robberies in the Southern Luzon region. “One Vivencio Javier is a known personality na involve dito sa mga ganitong bank robbery. Isa pong pangalanan yan sa grupong ating hinahanap dun sa RCBC bank robbery (A certain Vivencio Javier is a known personality involved in bank robberies. He’s one of our suspects in the RCBC bank robbery)," PNP chief Dir. Gen. Avelino Razon said. However, Sr. Supt Charles Calima, chief of staff PNP Region 4A, said there is no clear evidence that will implicate the four in the RCBC case. “Definite ba na may link ang mga ito hindi pa mai-establish…nagkataon na medyo na-muddle yun kasi nga sila (operatives) yun component ng Batangas provincial police office sa task force RCBC (It’s not yet definite whether these four were involved in the RCBC case)," Calima said. Javier’s son, Joey, told 24 Oras that armed men barged into their house midnight Thursday without showing any warrant of arrest. Upon entry, the armed men reportedly went into his parents’ room and grabbed his father. Javier’s wife, Olive, said she knew that the armed men killed her husband when she heard the gun shots. “Inakbayan ang aking asawa tapos sabi po kakausapin lang…tapos ako po’y yumapos sa aking asawa. Pagkatapos hinala ako papasok sa kwarto nakarinig ako ng putok…alam ko po patay na ang asawa (They dragged me out of the room and then I heard the shots. I knew my husband was dead then)," she said. Joey alleged that the armed men also threatened to kill him and rape his sister. The family of Javier also accused the armed men of stealing valuable things such as cellular phones, two units of PSP, one unit of Playstation and cash from their house during the supposed raid. Cervillano said his brother Vivencio phoned him that midnight asking for assistance. “Pagdating ko doon hindi na ko pinapasok…hinarang na ako ng mga pulis. Tinutukan pa ko, sabi ko kapitan ako dito…kahit kapatan ka diyan ka lang (When I arrived at the area I was blocked by the police. They pointed their guns at me and ignored the fact that I was the barangay captain here)," Cervillano said. While waiting to be allowed to enter his premises, Cervillano said he heard several gun shots. The television report said that armed men then went to the house of Vivencio’s brother, incumbent village chieftain Cervillano Javier, but were not able to find him there. Instead they met village watchmen Lachica and Malabanan, who were also killed after they allegedly tried to shoot it out with the policemen. - Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV