Police are looking into leads in the daring holdup of a couple who had just withdrawn P2.2 million people from a bank in Dumaguete City last Friday.
Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria said he was apprised of the developments in the investigation but did not disclose the details.
Police identified the victims as Brian Foster, 65, a Swedish national, and his Filipina wife Rosario, 43.
They had left Union Bank along the corner of Real and San Juan streets and were heading down San Juan St. in their Suzuki multicab minivan when they were robbed upon reaching the vicinity of Emcor appliance store.
Witnesses told the MetroPost there were at least seven persons involved in the robbery who rode in three motorcycles. The first motorcycle blocked the path of the victims’ vehicle, while the two other motorcycles, with two persons on each vehicle, drove alongside the minivan.
Rosario was hit on the forehead with either a hammer or the butt of a gun when she initially resisted. The men grabbed the bag containing the money, and fled to the left, even going against the traffic in the one-way Perdices St.
The robbers were so bold they did not even wear masks to conceal their identities.
“It happened so fast we didn’t even know what was going on until the lady (Rosario) came out and declared ‘Na hold-up mi!’” said a witness.
A motorcyclist, who was following the Suzuki mini van, said he didn’t even realize that something wrong was happening right in front of him.
Rosario was brought to the hospital by policemen, where she was confined for her injury.
Supt. Alet Virtucio, assistant provincial police director, said he was wondering why the couple did not ask for police assistance when they knew they would be carrying a huge amount. “We can provide security in these instances if they request us,” he said.