By CYRUS M. GARDE
BACOLOD City — Police in Escalante City were struggling to identify the robbers that took P2 million worth of cash and checks from the City Treasurer’s Office vault in the city hall.
Supt. Leo Batiles, city police chief, admitted that finding the suspects would be easier if they have security camera footages.
There were no closed-circuit television cameras in the city hall, but the city government had planned to install them this week.
For now the police were rooting on their suspicion that the incident was an inside job.
Eleven city government employees have been subjected to fingerprinting under the Scene of the Crime Operatives of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office.
They included seven Cashier’s Office workers — disbursing officers Elsie Patpat, Lyneth Catayoc, Charity Panonce, Roger De Los Santos, Anmae Mondragon, and Jannete Bascar, and Cashier I Auvy Mae Jarina — the janitor Noel Dueñas, and three watchmen — Raffy Logronio, Edward Anciano, and Antonio Baluarte.
Dueñas discovered the burglary when he reported to work at about 3:45 p.m. on Sunday.
It seemed no one noticed any unusual activity within the city hall compound — not even the police, whose station was only 10 meters away from the building, and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) personnel, who hold office nearby — said Batiles.
Batiles earlier described the robbery as “well-planned.” He said the suspects used chisel and hammer in destroying the vault.
There was no evidence of forcible entry, the Escalante police chief said.
Escalante City mayor Melecio Yap shared the same suspicion with the police. He urged the culprits to return the people’s money.
“Wala sang santuhon sa sini nga krimen, bisan tawo or paryente ko pa sila (No one will be spared in the investigation of this crime, may they be my relatives or aides),” he declared.
Yap said he is leaving the investigation up to the police. “I want the suspects caught and brought to justice,” he stressed.
City Treasurer Wilfredo Ruiz said he will not comment on the incident while the investigation is ongoing.
Meanwhile, the Negros Occidental provincial government asked the National Bureau of Investigation to help investigate.
Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. yesterday said the robbery could be an inside job. “The suspects may even have Civil Service eligibility,” he said.
Upon seeing scattered bills and coins at the vault, Dueñas rushed to Election Assistant II Detchie Mulliken at the nearby Comelec office to tell him about his find. Both then went to the police station.
Mulliken said he passed by the city hall on his way to their office at 8 a.m.
Anciano said he reported 8 p.m. on July 11 and was already out by 6 a.m. the following day. Logronio, on the other hand, said he went to work 8 a.m. on July 12, went out for lunch at 12 noon, returned to his post at 2 p.m., and logged out 6 a.m. on July 13.
Baluarte said he timed in at 6 p.m. on Sunday, hours after the robbery was discovered. (With a report from Eugene Adiong/PN)
