Thieves hold up gold- buy station; take P500K

ITOGON, Benguet – Police are still trying to identify men who held up a gold-buying station here Monday and ran away with around half a million pesos worth of cash, gold dust and gadgets.

A police report said the incident transpired around 3 a.m. in Camp 1, Acupan, Virac.where victims were named as Florence Dopyao, 36, owner of the establishment and her helpers Nollie Timanang Hoggang, 20; Jossana L. Ambojnon, 23; Marilou N. Remiendo, 36 and Mary Jane Hoggang, 35, all a natives of Hingyon, Ifugao and  residents of Riverside, Balatoc, Virac.

Investigation disclosed while Hoggang was sleeping, two men entered his room, pointed a gun to him and instructed him to keep quiet or he will be shot, while their two companions were posted as back up outside the room.

The two men tied his hands and feet then covered his mouth with  packaging tape and left him.

The two suspects then joined the other two and they all proceeded to the cashier’s room where other victims were sleeping.

One of the men knocked the door and pretended to be Hoggang. When Mary Jane opened the door, the suspects declared hold-up and pointed a gun and knife to the three ladies then asked for key of the drawer but the ladies refused to give it. 

This prompted the suspects to tie the hands and feet of the three ladies, and one of the suspects forcibly opened the drawer of the cashier table  with a chisel then took P159,560 cash and  154.5 grams gold dust worth P231,610.0

The suspects also took one Nokia cellphone N series worth P7,000 and one WIFI broadband worth P2,500 owned by Ambojnon, Star mobile phone worth P2,500 owned by Nollie and wallet containing P3,000 cash and assorted ID’s and documents owned by Mary Jane.

The suspects fled to unknown directions after the heist.