Operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Philippine National Police (PNP)  on Thursday seized high-caliber firearms and other ammunitions used in the Greenbelt 5 heist from the alleged hideout of the Alvin Flores group in Plaridel, Bulacan.

Some 30 police and bureau operatives conducted the raid on the strength of the search warrant issued by Branch 11 of the Regional Trial Court of Malolos. The raiding team headed by lawyer Roel Bolivar, chief of the NBI Reaction, Interdiction and Arrest Division, swooped on the bungalow reportedly rented by Alvin Flores’ sister, Merlinda, on Block 88 Lot 6, Phase 4, Jupiter Street, Santa Rita, Bulacan at about 1:30 p.m.

Merlinda is also a subject of manhunt by NBI and the Philippine National Police as she has outstanding warrant of arrest for robbery. Alvin Flores was killed in a shootout with NBI operatives in Cebu on October 29.

Deputy director for Intelligence Services lawyer Ruel Lasala said there was no person arrested during the operation.      

Based on initial report, the raiding team found firearms such as M-16, M-14, shotgun, M-203, carbine and several ammunitions.

Besides the guns, operatives also found hammers, PNP uniforms, bomb squad uniform, Bitag t-shirts, bolt cutter, taxi meter, taxi signage, red plates, helmets, two-way radios and several others used in robbery.
Information gathered by the NBI showed that Merlinda leased the bungalow three weeks ago.

“While the place was leased three weeks ago, neighbors saw two men, two women and a child frequenting to the place for a week. There are reports that the group proceeded there after the Greenbelt 5 heist to hide,” Lasala said.

Alvin Flores’ alleged cosmetic surgeon subpoenaed

In a related development, a general surgeon on Friday went to the National Bureau of Investigations to shed light on the reports that he performed plastic surgery on notorious robbery group leader Alvin Flores.

Dr. Dominador Pedracio of Clinica Antipolo went directly to the NBI-Office of the Deputy Director for Intelligence Services at about 2 p.m. after being subpoenaed to answer if he really conducted plastic surgery on Flores.

Pedracio refused to answer questions hurled by media. “I will answer your questions later,” he said when asked if he was the one who fixed the face of Flores.

Pedracio said attending to summons was not unusual to him. “I had been summoned by the court usually for the medico legal matter. This is not unusual but this matter is quite different because it is sensationalized,” he said.

Head agent Ross Bautista, executive officer of the Office of Intelligence Services, was tasked to take the statement from the doctor. He said the doctor who claimed to be both general surgeon and cosmetic surgeon was very cooperative. “This is not an interrogation. We would ask him clarificatory questions,” he said.

Earlier, Lasala had downplayed speculations that the bureau got the wrong Alvin Flores.

“We are 100 percent sure that it was Alvin Flores. We have no doubt, despite reports that he undergone plastic surgery. Even if the report was true that he had plastic surgery, still he could not have changed his entire face,” he said.

Lasala also said the authorities conducted surveillance on Alvin Flores and had studied the footages of his past robberies for a very long time. “Besides, the arrested suspect Rene Batiencela confirmed it was him. We have so many proofs that it was him,” he said.

Ruben D. Manahan 4th