Chief Supt. Ricardo Padilla, director of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Office 4-A (Calabarzon), at the same time, announced that they have taken in custody two security guards of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) branch in Cabuyao for investigation regarding the incident.

Padilla identified the security guards as Joel de la Cruz and Regidor Sapon.

According to police reports, Sapon voluntarily surrendered to police authorities last Friday to clear his name on any involvement in the killings and robbery.

De la Cruz, on the other hand, also showed up to police investigators, claiming that he failed to report for duty when the incident happened. Baltazar Aquino, a bank security guard who was among those killed in the robbery incident, took over the post of de la Cruz last Friday.

"The two security guards will be subjected to paraffin and polygraph tests as they undergo investigation to shed light on the case," Padilla said.

"We already lifted some physical evidence on the crime scene," Padilla added.

Police initially suspected a possible "inside job" angle after they discovered that there was no sign of forcible entry by the gunmen into the bank. They also theorized that the robbers entered the bank through the back door.

"Everybody should be considered as suspect," the PNP regional director added.

Aside from the robbery angle, police authorities will also determine if the robbers were high on drugs when they shot the victims – most of them bank employees – at close range.

Police authorities could not yet ascertain if the gunmen took money or valuables from the bank.

The incident was considered the worst bank robbery hold up case in local history. The victims were believed to have been ordered to line up before they were shot in the head one by one by the robbers.

Padilla said that they are closely monitoring the recovery of Isagani Pastor, RCBC branch marketing manager who was the only survivor in the attack, in a bid to extract information from him which could lead to the identification of the killers.

As this developed, police authorities said the P1 million cash reward will come from Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. who will pledged P100,000; Laguna Gov. Teresita "Ningning" Lazaro (P100,000); and the PNP and concerned citizens who raised at least P 800,000.

2 security guards undergo paraffin and drugs tests

CAMP GENERAL VICENTE LIM, Laguna --- A P1 million reward is being offered for the arrest of the bank robbers at the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. branch in Cabuyao, Laguna last Friday.

Chief Supt. Ricardo Padilla, Police Regional Office (PRO) 4-A director, said Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. and Laguna Governor Teresita Lazaro offered P100,000 each while the remaining was offered by the PNP and friends of the victims.

The two security guards assigned at the RCBC Cabuyao branch are now under the custody of the police.

PO1 Anastacio Motas, Cabuyao police investigator, said the two security guards were turned over Friday night to the office of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detective Group (CIDG) in Region 4A for interrogation. They were also subjected to paraffin and drug tests.

Security guard Regidor Sergio Sapon of Greyhound Security Agency told police that he was the bank’s duty guard from 6 p.m. of May 16 to 6 a.m. of May 17.

Sapon said security guard Joel Dela Cruz was the duty guard for 24 hours or from 6 a.m. Thursday up to 6 a.m. Friday.

It was learned that Dela Cruz had already filed a leave of absence effective May 16 because he was to go to Samar province.

A certain Shiela Banarez Otongan, production technician of Ivoviar Vivadent, Inc. located at Laguna Science Industrial Park (LISP), revealed that she was inside her Isuzu Crosswind parked in front of the RCBC parking area when her driver, Ferdinand Antonio, was approached and assisted by a man wearing black jacket going inside the bank.

Antonio was the bank client killed by the robbers.

Police said a huge amount of money was taken by the robbers from the bank even as authorities discovered that the vault still contained P3,086,520.76; ,623 and more than ¥1 million after the robbery.

Based on the records of the bank’s official log book, the robbers entered the bank at about 8:45 a.m. Friday and introduced themselves as policemen.

After carting a still undetermined amount and killing the nine bank employes and a client, the robbers fled through the backdoor of the bank and took the Mitsubishi Adventure with license plate XHS-341 of one of the victims and headed towards South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).

The get-away vehicle owned by slain Benjamin Nicdao was recovered abandoned at a convenience store in Barangay Turbina, Calamba City at around 1:15 p.m. on same day.

Senior Supt. Aaron Fidel, deputy regional director for operations (DRDO), who heads the Task Force-RCBC, said that at least four to five robbers gained entry at the bank.

Meanwhile, Isagani Pastor, RCBC area vice president, is still in the intensive care unit (ICU) at St. James hospital in Sta. Rosa City due to a gunshot wound in the head.

Supt. Ligaya Cabal, Scene of the Crime Office (SOCO) 4-A director, said that they had subjected to paraffin and drug tests the security guards who voluntarily showed up to the police last Friday night.

She said the results of their findings in the crime scene will be announced Sunday afternoon. (Ferdinand F. Castro)

President concerned over bloody bank robbery-massacre

A "fuming" President Arroyo has ordered police to quickly arrest the killers of nine people during a bank robbery in Cabuyao, Laguna, on Friday.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Mrs. Arroyo wants a speedy resolution of the gruesome murders of 10 people in a robbery at the Cabuyao branch of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC).

Ermita said Mrs. Arroyo is "fuming and dismayed" over the murders.

"It was definitely a work of the devil," he said.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Avelino Razon has formed Task Force RCBC to investigate the massacre and robbery and arrest the killers.

The robbers were believed to have been allowed entry to the RCBC Cabuyao branch before the bank was to open Friday morning.

The victims were all shot in the head and believed to have been executed, suggesting that the bank robbery was an "inside job" and that they may have known and recognized the robbers.

Meanwhile, Deputy Presidential Spokesman Anthony Golez rejected calls for the revival of the death penalty amid demands for retribution from the perpetrators of the massacre.

"At the end of the day, there’s no indication that imposing the death penalty contributes to reduction in the crime rate," Golez said. (David Cagahastian)