By Greg G. Deligero
DAVAO CITY Mayor Sara Z. Duterte and Davao City Police Office (DCPO) Chief Senior Supt. Ronald M. dela Rosa yesterday presented to the media four members of the notorious “Bukas Kotse” Gang who were arrested last Monday in an entrapment operation conducted in a hotel in General Santos City.
The gang’s moniker stems from the way they stole valuable items by breaking the glass of the parked vehicles.
The suspects are identified as Tristan Ocampo Sumaoang, 40, married; Melanie Gulfan Aguirre, 24, single; and Joey Aguirre Masayon, 35, married; all residents of General Santos City. The fourth suspect, Leonardo Medel Valentin, 48, married, is a resident of Barpa Agdao, Davao City.
The suspects’ entrapment and arrest started when a photo enthusiast based in General Santos called up a friend in Davao City to inquire the advantages and other features of Nikon D700 DSLR, a high-end digital camera.
The friend in Davao City happens to be a colleague at the Camera Club of Davao of Erwin Wong Te, who lost to the gang the same high-end camera and other several valuable items last October 14 in Shrine Hills, Matina.
After establishing that the item being sold has the same serial number, the GenSan-based photo enthusiast was then advised to delay the business transaction with the dealer until the police operatives arrive.
PSupt. Dionesio C. Abude, chief of the Talomo Police Station which has the jurisdiction of Te’s case, led the operation together with DCPO “tracker team” leader PSInsp. Ranulfo Cabanog and four other police officers.
The entrapment and subsequent arrests were made at Gen San Suites, Sampaguita Street, General Santos City. Recovered from the suspects were laptops, digital cameras, jewelries, assorted bags and other valuable items. Also recovered were two units of Mazda Familia Sedan, one in white color and the other, in black.
The suspects along the vehicles and the recovered valuable items were brought to the Police Station 3 in barangay Lahug, General Santos City, before proceeding to Davao City.
Te has positively identified the stolen items from him including the camera which costs around P110,000 for a brand new item but was only being sold by the suspects at P35,000 in General Santos City.
Dela Rosa said the DCPO has so far recorded 32 bukas kotse cases in Davao City, 15 of which occurred in Talomo.
He said the gang operates nationwide using the national roads stretching from General Santos City-Davao City-Butuan City-Surigao City to Visayas-Manila and vice versa.
“They operated in the cities that come along their way. They are highly organized,” Dela Rosa said. He said the suspects alternately use different vehicles to mislead the police investigators.
Duterte, for the part, asked the police to further intensify their operation to arrest the other members of the group.
