The Virac police has deepened its investigation into last week’s robbery perpetrated by three armed men against a couple who are both officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) in Catanduanes.
According to various sources, Calatagan High School principal Fidel Vegim, 48, and his wife Rosario, 50, a project development officer at the DepEd Catanduanes Division Office, were on board a Honda XRM motorcycle and about to enter the gate of the residence at San Lorenzo Ruiz Village in Bigaa in the evening of Jan. 12, 2021 when the incident occurred.
Three unidentified men wearing black sweatshirts, black pants and black bonnets, all armed with long firearms, suddenly pointed their guns at the couple, introduced themselves as members of the New People’s Army (NPA), and ordered them to lie face down on the pavement.
The prostrate victims were searched by the suspects, who took the principal’s cellphone and his wife’s sling bag that contained about P4,000 cash and her cellphone.
The suspects then fled on foot towards an unknown direction.
Unconfirmed reports claim that during the incident, one of the suspects hit Fidel with the butt of his rifle but the impact jarred loose its magazine, which fell to the ground.
Responding policemen recovered at the scene 30 bullets for an M-16 rifle, as well as the spring and lock for the magazine.
A police dragnet in the surrounding area failed to intercept the escaping suspects but a source close to the investigation told the Tribune that the police has already identified a person of interest in connection with the robbery.