The Philippine National Police in Dumaguete City is still facing a blank wall on the broad daylight robbery of the RCPI Western Union money transfer office at Gov. Mariano Perdices Street, Dumaguete Monday.

Hot pursuit operations proved futile and no identification of the suspects has resulted although security guard Joey Salcedo had pinpointed two characters in the rogue's gallery of the city police office.

The unidentified culprits carted away about P150,000 in cash, and jewelry items of employees.

Chief Insp. Manuel Hidalgo, city police chief, had blamed the robbery on the laxity of security in the establishment, whose main business is money transfer.

An automatic alarm system would have aborted the heist, he pointed out.

It also took more than 20 minutes for the Western Union management to call for police assistance, and not 75 minutes, as earlier reported, he added.

Salcedo, 26, of D'Champ Security Agency, who is detailed at the Western Union branch, told police investigators that at about 12:30 Monday, three young-looking men entered the office pretending to be clients and later disarmed him and declaring a hold-up.

They ordered the customers inside -- Sidra Partosa and Nosinda Partosa of Nabago, Zamboanguita town, Celso Cordero, and Josel Cordero, 15, of Jugno in Amlan town -- to lower their heads while they cleared the table of teller/customer service representative Herbert Aguilar of cash and other items, including the ten US$100 bills, and an undetermined amount in pesos.*JG

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