Congratulations? Suspected Mastermind of Pawnshop Robbery Passes Bar Exam
He was arrested a week before the results came out.
(SPOT.ph) Every year, the Bar examination results bring out some of the most extraordinary stories of aspiring lawyers. 2023 is no different. There’s senior citizen Rosula Calacala who passed the exam on her first take. There's OPM singer Jimmy Bondoc. And now…there's an alleged mastermind of a recent robbery in Cebu City.
Jigger Geverola was behind bars when he heard he was one of the 3,812 passers of the 2023 Bar examinations. He is currently detained at the Cebu City Police Office following his suspected involvement in a daring in-broad-daylight pawnshop robbery staged last November 25.
He said in an interview with The Freeman that he had “mixed emotions” about the result. considering the situation he’s currently in. Still, congratulations are in order.
Geverola is hopeful he will get to take his oath on December 22 to signal the beginning of a fresh start. He told reporters in Cebu he will be committed to helping his fellow inmates at the custodial facility when he starts practicing law.
Also read: Meet Rosula Calacala, the 62-Year-Old Who Passed the Bar Exam on Her First Try
Before the Bar exam, there was his complicated history with the law
But let's circle back to November 25 first. The plan was to rob the pawnshop and transport the stolen gold jewelry to Surigao, where it will be taken to a miner for melting. Several men with high caliber firearms and explosives barged into Oro Sugbo pretending to be agents of the National Bureau of Investigation before clearing out the store in two minutes as reported by Sunstar.
Geverola was not present at the scene. However, two accomplices implicated him as the one who dispensing instructions, directing them to the getaway vehicle in Sibonga as captured on a CCTV footage. The two were arrested at a police checkpoint on November 27.
Meanwhile, Geverola was arrested at his home in Argao on November 28, following the two's extra-judicial confession as per Cebu Daily News. This was a week before the Bar exam results came out.
Geverola is no stranger to encounters with the law. In 2001, he faced murder and arson charges for allegedly burning a Philtranco bus in Catmon. He served jail time from 2004 until 2011 for two counts of rebellion and arson.
Following his release, he vowed to change his life for the better. He studied to hold a juris doctor degree at Southwestern University, finishing in 2020. Only time will tell if Geverola makes it to the oath taking to secure his new title: Attorney.
Also read: Abogados, Avocados & Dreams Come True: What Really Happens When Bar Exam Results Come Out