The hunt for the seven other suspects in the store hold-up at the Bacolod City downtown area Wednesday night continues even after the police had filed robbery charges against the lone member of the gang arrested yesterday.

Robbery charges were filed against Jury Nasis at the City Prosecutor's Office yesterday for his alleged participation in the rush-hour raid at Unitop Merchandising at Gonzaga Street , in Bacolod , at about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Police Station 1 commander, Chief Inspector Noel Manaay, said.

Eight men staged the robbery, taking away cellphones after overpowering two security guards despite the rush-hour crowd.

Illegal gun possession raps were also lodged against him for the .38 caliber revolver confiscated from him during his arrest at a karaoke bar at the Goldenfileds Commercial Complex by Police Station 8 officers, at about 3:30 a.m. yesterday.

One of Unitop's security guards positively identified Nasis after his arrest, Manaay said.

He said their informants told them Nasis may have been with his other companions at the same pub during his apprehension but he refused to pinpoint them.

Manaay said vendors outside the business establishment said they did not intervene in the commotion at the store, thinking it was just another shoplifter trying to escape from security guards.

Had the employees of the store shouted for help, people outside would have mobbed the robbers, Manaay said.

A sales attendant at the store said they screamed at the time but the suspects worked fast and shoved aside attendants, while brandishing knives as they took cellphones from a line of shelves.

A Unitop Merchandising store supervisor said that business outfits in Bacolod must now be more alert against robbers and burglars, noting the series of store break-ins that happened in the city during the first two months of the year.

She said they have requested for new guards from their security agency after Wednesday's incident.

Western Visayas Philippine National Police Office regional director Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas has asked Negros Occidental's law enforcers to be more visible to the public.*PP

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