The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is studying the possibility to consider an arrested member of the “The Alvin Flores Armed Robbery Group” tagged behind the Greenbelt 5 heist to become accused-turned-state witness to establish links to other sub-groups of the group.

This developed as the NBI decided to look for a doctor based in Antipolo City who allegedly conducted a plastic surgery on slain leader Alvin Flores to know if he/she was aware about Flores’s background.

The NBI filed on Tuesday afternoon robbery with homicide charges at the Makati Prosecutor’s Office against Rene Batiencela, a key player of the group, who was arrested during the operation in Cebu.

Batiencela has also an outstanding warrant of arrest for illegal possession of firearms issued by Judge Alma Crispina Collado Lacorte, of Caloocan City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 51.

While Batiencela may be considered as a state witness, the NBI said Batiencela apparently lack material information regarding the operation of Flores. According to Batiencela, he said he was not easy to talk to Flores and anyone who wanted to talk to him had to ask permission of Richie Hijapon, alias “Dodong” who was also killed along with Flores in Cebu operation last October 29.

Flores did not talk too much with his members so it was only few who really material information regarding the group’s activities.

Meanwhile, the NBI decided to look for the doctor who conducted plastic surgery on Alvin Flores who was said to have pretended to be a gay.

Batiencela also said he feared for his life for reportedly cooperating with the NBI authorities, saying that he believed that four out of 13 core members of the  gang remained hiding.

He said he was afraid that one of the remaining gang members would take revenge on his family. “Maliliit pa ang mga anak ko,” he said.

He said they managed to dispose the stolen watches when they arrived in their hideout in Bulacan and the gang members were only given P15,000 each after carrying out the Greenbelt 5.

He said he joined group five months ago and claimed that that he was only involved in only three operations.

He said he used to work in Navotas fish port when he was recruited by the group. He said he wanted to leave the group but it was a policy of the syndicate to kill the member who wanted to get out.

Also killed during the October 29 operation in Cebu were Flores’s right hand, Richie Gigante Hijapon, alias “Dodong,” alias “John Paul Cruz Monteverde,” of Dapdap, Kinatarkan, Santa Fe, Cebu; Marc Alejandro Bondoc Salamanca, alias “Joseph,” native of Isabela; and Roger Sanchez, alias “Francisco Deladia y Bajo, alias “Tulig” of Milaor, Camarines Sur.