Gunmen shoot, rob treasure hunter

By AARON B. RECUENCO • MIKE U. CRISMUNDO

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Gunmen stormed the house of a treasure hunter in Surigao del Norte and shot and robbed him with cash after failing to find the gold they were looking for, police reported yesterday.

Supt. Martin Gamba, chief information officer of the CARAGA regional police, said initial result of the investigation points to the possible involvement of local communist rebels in the incident that occurred on Friday night in Barangay Ombong in Alegria town.

He identified the victim as Danny Evarita, a known treasure hunter in the area.

“The incident was perpetrated by the 10 armed men believed to be communist rebels, they demanded the gold which they believed was found by him in his treasure-hunting activities,” said Gamba.

“Allegedly, they demanded the said gold to buy medicines for their wounded comrades,” he added.

But Evarita reportedly insisted that the rebels had wrong information about the gold, allegedly prompting the group leaders to shoot him at short range.

Local investigators said the New People’s Army (NPA) also ransacked the house of Evarita, taking with them some P6,600 cash.

“The other members of Evarita family were reportedly unharmed,” said Gamba.

Gamba said the victim was rushed to Caraga Regional Hospital in Surigao City for treatment.

The perpetrators fled to the mountainous area of Barangay Camp Edward in the same town after the incident, according to the police.

The local rebels have not issued any statement about the police allegation.

Courtesy TEMPO

Yikes! The rebels are learning how to operate like the state of California and how they treat the prospectors out here. Just plain robbery out here. Kind of like the state of Florida and the treasure laws there.
Grubby

ESTABLISHING providence is one thing, KEEPING WHAT YOU FIND,is better !!!

this guy in the peens, was obviously a victim of rumors....what they THOUGHT he had and what he DID have, made him a target,--BTW--I keep my money in my mattress and buried in quart jars under the house...

I never-ever NEVER prospect/detect or dive without a weapon,,,,(dive) spear gun,knife,

It is a crime when your own government forces you into criminal activity to survive or pursue a hobby. It all comes down to greed. Maybe if we keep the media out of our business we could hunt in peace. They blow up stories for the interest value and blow everything out of proportion. A few great finds and the media turns us all into gold pirates who pillage every artifact, coin and gold or silver bar we never found. If you listen to the hype we are hoarding millions in gold, silver and artifacts in our basements, safe deposit boxes and burried in our back yards. OKAY, WHO LET THESE IDIOTS IN ON WHERE WE HIDE OUR LOOT? I'll bet that over 95% of people with detectors never find anything of serious value but the media takes the remaining 5% as the average finds we must all be making. Seriously, how many people have found ANYTHING you have recieved $10,000 for? How about $5,000? Okay, $500? This is what I mean, they think we are hauling in hundreds of historicly valuable coins and artifacts every day and hiding them. Then they turn it into a story about the millions in gold laying in our basements, safe deposit boxes and treasure chests burried in our yards and every stupid thug thinks we have a hoard of gold. What is the next natural progression? Robbery. extortion and injury. Keep the media out of our business! If you tell them you found nothing they will go away and pester someone else until they figure there is no story of lost gold or treasure. Sensationalism is the name of the treasure Hunting game. You never hear of anyone NOT finding a large treasure.

I hear ya White Feather! And the rest of you, too. The purpose is to make us all criminals sooner or later in many ways so they can fill their prisons and camps. The NPA shoot the guy for $156US....they can feed all their families for a week...it is dangerous there...no doubt....but....for a pirate it can be good if you are smart.
Loose lips sink ships...and lose a few heads, too.

2 yrs ago Im watching Fox TV there and it was a FBI case files type show about tunneling into a bank from next door and I thought to myself, hmmm...Could probably do that here since its like 1950's mentality. You know, it wasn't 2 months later that it was on the news about it happening there. Then 2 more times in the next few months....I dont think they even use rebar in the foundations around there..3rd world all the way.