The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed charges of robbery with homicide against an alleged member of the robbery group responsible for the brazen break-in of a high-end watch shop in a posh mall in Makati City last October.

In a charge sheet filed before the Makati City Prosecutors’ Office late afternoon Tuesday, the NBI named as respondent Rene Batiencela and claimed that he is part of the notorious Alvin Flores Robbery Group that is behind the October 18 robbery at the Rolex Store in Greenbelt 5.

According to NBI counsel Ross Galicia, Batiencela admitted involvement to the group and the recent robbery incident after an encounter with authorities in Barangay Compostela in Cebu province. Batiencela survived the October 29 encounter but four of his colleagues, including gang leader Alvin Flores himself, were killed on the spot.

The agency claimed that Batiencela is among the six heavily armed men clad in bomb squad uniforms that pocketed at least 64 pieces of Tudor watches worth P6 million and ruined some P2 million worth of property of the watch shop. Operatives of the Makati City Police failed to establish the identity of the burglars since they wore bonnets to conceal their faces during the incident.

Batiencela, who was present during the filing of charges against him, surrendered to authorities and is currently in the custody of the NBI. The suspect also has a standing warrant of arrest issued by a Caloocan Metropolitan Trial Court.

"We have filed a case of robbery with homicide under Article 294 of the Revised Penal Code for his involvement in Rolex store heist last October 18," Galicia said.

While Batiencela surrendered to the authorities and is under the custody of the NBI, the rest of the identified suspects are still on the loose.