Gang leader in Greenbelt 5 heist had his face changed

MANILA - The leader of the robbery gang which hit posh Greenbelt 5 mall in Makati City last October 18 was not only slippery to authorities but had his face changed through plastic surgery to evade police detection, a confessed member of the Alvin Flores gang admitted Wednesday.

Rene Batiencela, a member of the robbery gang who survived a shootout with agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and police last October 30 in Cebu City, admitted his involvement in the robbery in an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News Wednesday.

Alvin Flores, the alleged leader of the robbery gang and two other alleged gang members Richie Hijapon and Mark Salamanca were killed in the encounter in Cebu City, police said.

Batiencela, in an interview while in police detention, said Flores’s face had changed drastically since 2008.

Authorities showed ABS-CBN News a purported picture of Flores in 2000 reportedly recovered from the alleged gang leader’s belongings after the Cebu City raid on the gang’s purported safehouse.

Fake identification cards reportedly of Flores were also allegedly found including one which showed his name as Marvin Yao.

Batiencela said the changes in the facial features of Flores were due to plastic surgery.

The pictures showed changes in features in Flores’s eyes and nose and a dimple was even placed.

Rene Batiencela during ABS-CBN News interview

“Pinaliit niya iyong mata niya, dati iyong mata niya luwa iyon eh, parang malaki ba. Pinaliitan niya, parang pinasingkit ba., tapos iyong ilong niya parang pinatangos ba, malaki dati ang ilong niya,” said Batiencela.

Flores reportedly had his plastic surgery done by a doctor in Antipolo City and paid P250,000 for it.

“Nagpakilala siya na bakla, anak ng mayaman si Alvin. Kasi iniisip nila na baka malaman ng doctor na wanted siya,ma pinaghahanap siya ng gobyerno,” said Batiencela.

NBI said they are investigating the doctor who performed the procedure on the face of Flores to determine if he did not know that his patient was a leader of a robbery gang.

Wrong shop

The target of the robbery group in Greenbelt 5 mall was not the Rolex watch store but an adjacent store also selling expensive watches, the detained gang member also revealed Wednesday.

Batiencela said the plan was to hit the Patek Philippe store.

Batiencela said that their “pointer” who was also their leader failed to identify the right store.

“Pagpasok namin, sabi ni Alvin ‘yon ang pasukin, eh di pumasok na rin ako… Akala ko ‘yon ang Philippe Patek eh hindi pala,” admitted Batiencela.

Batiencela was reportedly the one carrying a tennis bag when the members of the gang entered the Rolex watch store, as shown in a closed-circuit television video. He was allegedly also the one who shattered the glass cases containing the watches that they wanted to get.

Batiencela is tagged as the one who smashed the store's glass cases

He was holding a caliber .45 pistol when the shootout started with the 2 policemen who are members of Taguig City Mayor Sigfredo Tinga’s security detail. The 2 cops interrupted the robbery and shot it out with the robbers.

Batiencela said Flores was the lookout outside the store during the robbery and was also the one who exchanged gunfire with the 2 policemen.

“Panay sigaw si Alvin, labas! Di kami lumalabas. Umalis si Alvin, iniwan kami, akala niya siguro mga patay na kami,” said the detained suspect. One of the robbers, Armando Domingo, was killed in the shootout inside Greenbelt 5.

“Quick dispatch”

He said after they escaped and went to their safehouse in Bulacan, he was given P15,000. He said the watches were quickly “dispatched.”

“Pagdating sa safehouse, nagbihis na kami, pinagtatago na ang mga gamit tapos sabi nina Alvin at ni Joseph, dito muna kayo, hintayin niyo na kami kasi benta namin ang mga relo… Mga isang oras lang, bumalik na sila,” narrated Batiencela.

The robbers were reportedly able to cart away 64 pieces of expensive watches estimated to be worth P6 million.

The group hid from the authorities until they reached Cebu City where they were found by NBI agents.

“’Pag sigaw ni Tulig na kalaban daw!, dumiretso na ako, tumakbo na ako papuntang dagat eh… Wala man ako talaga balak na lumaban kasi alam ko sa kanila, hindi pahuhuli ng buhay,” said Batiencela of his companions in Cebu City. He was the only one who survived in the ensuing shootout.

Batiencela said he was new to the group. He said he had joined in only 3 “operations.”

He also said that it was not easy to talk directly with the group’s leader Flores. He said one had to go through Hijapon, the leader’s right-hand man and who was known as Dodong.

“Gusto ko lang sana mangyari makakuha lang ako ng puhunan, aalis din ako sa kanila… Ang patakaran sa grupo, pag nakasama ka na sa grupo, di ka na pwedeng umalis, papatayin ka nila,” said Batiencela.

Batiencela said he was sorry for what he had done, especially now that he is detained and while his children were still young.

“Sobra pagsisisi ko. Pati tuloy pamilya ko nadamay,” said the confessed robbery gang member.

Batiencela said that 4 of the 11 members of the gang were still eluding authorities.

He admitted he was afraid that other members would take revenge on his family because he was helping authorities.

Batiencela has been charged with a case of robbery with homicide for his involvement in the Greenbelt 5 heist. Authorities were still considering if they would take Batiencela as a state witness. From a report by Maan Macapagal, ABS-CBN News