By CYRUS M. GARDE
BACOLOD City — Police in Escalante City said they have identified the person who divested the City Treasurer’s Office’s vault of P2 million worth of cash and checks.
The suspect will be charged with robbery, according to Supt. Leo Batiles, Escalante police chief.
“If he will not admit openly, we will file the charges based on the witnesses’ testimonies and circumstantial evidence,” he said.
Batiles refused to disclose the suspect’s identity pending the filing of the case.
But he gave a hint: the suspect was one of those who had undergone initial investigation and paraffin test under the provincial police’s scene of the crime operatives.
Eleven city government employees had been subject to initial investigation and paraffin test in connection with the robbery.
They were disbursing officers Elsie Patpat, Lyneth Catayoc, Charity Panonce, Roger De Los Santos, Anmae Mondragon, and Jannete Bascar; Cashier I Auvy Mae Jarina; janitor Noel Dueñas; and watchmen Raffy Logronio, Edward Anciano, and Antonio Baluarte.
This development came in light of the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) participation in the investigation.
Escalante mayor Melecio Yap welcomed the NBI’s help.
Yap said they will boost the security in the city hall building by installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.
Authorities earlier said identifying the suspect would have been easier had there been CCTVs cameras around.
Yap said CCTVs will be installed this week, but bus terminals and public markets, where most criminal incidents happen, will be given priority./PN
