Congratulations? Suspected Mastermind of Pawnshop Robbery Passes Bar Exam

Every year, the Bar examination brings out some of the most extraordinary stories of hardworking aspirants. 2023 has no shortage of these passers. There’s senior citizen Rosula Calacala, OPM singer Jimmy Bondoc, and now…an alleged mastermind of a recent robbery in Cebu City.

Jigger Geverola was behind bars when he heard that he was one of the 3,812 passers of the 2023 Bar examinations. He is currently detained at the Cebu City Police Office after his suspected involvement in a daring pawnshop robbery in broad daylight on November 25.

He said 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 that he will be committed to helping his fellow inmates at the custodial facility when he starts practicing law.

Before the Bar exam, there was his complicated history with the law

Photo by COURTESY.

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 in Oro Sugbo pretending to be agents of the National Bureau of Investigation before clearing out the store in two minutes.

Geverola was not present at the scene. However, two accomplices implicated him as the one who instructed them in the robbery, directing them to the getaway vehicle in Sibonga as captured on a CCTV footage. The two were then arrested at police checkpoint.

Meanwhile, Geverola was arrested at his home in Argao on November 28, following the extra-judicial confession. 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 in 2004 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, having finished his studies in 2020. Only time will tell if Geverola makes it to the oath taking to secure his professional title as an attorney.