LINGAYEN–“We’ll still give him the benefit of the doubt.

Thus said Senior Supt. Percival Barba, police provincial director, when asked if San Nicolas Mayor Leoncio Saldivar III has been determined to be involved with the Alvin Flores Gang (AFG), responsible for the robbery at Rolex Store in Greenbelt 5 in Makati City last October 11.

Barba said Saldivar vehemently denied any link with the gang although he admitted that three of those involved in the Rolex department store robbery, namely Dennis Serquina, Jose Warlito Rodriguito and the deceased Armando Domingo were briefly employed by him briefly.

Serquina was arrested by police operatives in Umingan while Rodriquito surrendered in Tayug.

Saldivar revealed that Serquina and Domingo, who was slain in the Rolex department store robbery, worked as security guards in his piggery and cattle farm in San Nicolas but quit after three days due to low wages.

However, he revealed that Serquinia served as driver of his father Leoncio Jr., alias “Django” at one time.

On the other hand, Rodriquito, 52, a former Army Scout ranger, worked as utility worker of the municipal government but had gone on Absent Without Official Leave.

Barba, however, acknowledged the help of Mayor Saldivar in the negotiation for the surrender of Rodriguito, a resident of San Nicolas.

Speaking at the KBP Forum here on Thursday, Barba said Saldivar may have virtually incriminated himself when he revealed that Alvin Flores, the leader of the robbery gang, was brought to his house three months ago and treated for a gunshot wound.

Barba quoted the mayor as saying that Flores personally told him his wound, a superficial one, was from a firefight with a policeman but did not elaborate the circumstances.

And when Barba asked Saldivar why he allowed it, the mayor simply said he thought he was only doing a good turn to a person in need and denied knowing the Flores background.

The mayor, he said, also claimed he was not aware of the illegal activities of Serquina, Rodriguito and Domingo before and after they were employed.

While Barba said he is prepared to give the mayor the benefit of the doubt, he said the police are still studying the legal basis for the filing of a case against Saldivar for his possible link with the armed gang, using his own admission that the wounded Flores was once treated in his house.

Chief Supt. General Roberto Rosales, Chief of the National Capital Region, is also reportedly planning to file a case against Saldivar for harboring criminal elements.–LM

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