Security guard killed in MisOr town robbery

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — A 58-year-old security guard was killed while his companion was wounded when unidentified gunmen attacked their post and carted away P1.5 million of cash valuables from the vault of the Mindanao Talakag Steel Corporation in Barangay San Martin, Villanueva, Misamis Oriental before dawn Wednesday.

Villanueva Municipal Police Station, in a report, identified the victim as security guard Celso Palma, 58 years old and resident of Baugong Bukidnon. He was shot in the head while his companion Teody Calonia, 32 was gunwhipped by one of the hooded suspects who attacked their outpost about 1 a.m.

Initial investigation showed that three armed men wearing bonnets suddenly appeared in the guard house and one of the suspects shot Palma in the head while the two others pistol whipped Calonia and handcuffed them before proceeding to the main office of the company.

Palma died on the spot while Calonia, who suffered neck and head injuries was brought to a nearby hospital by responding policemen.

The suspects reportedly forced open the vault of the company and took out cash and valuables and also took the shot guns from the guards and fled to still unknown direction.

Police investigators arrested a truck driver as a person of interest as he was caught on the CCTV cameras walking in the compound making cell calls before the robbers entered the compound.

Police investigators are looking into the possibility that the robbery was an inside job as the suspects were very familiar with the company’s premises.