BY JEN BAYLON
ILOILO City – The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) encouraged complainants to pursue cases against theft suspects until they are resolved in court.
ICPO director Colonel Joeresty Coronica said it is crucial to teach thieves a lesson and for victims not just to agree to settle, as this only provides the former with an opportunity to victimize more people.
“We should not wait for the thief to become a repeat offender and have more victims because they are not confined in prison due to settlements made by the complainants or cases being dismissed because the complainants did not pursue the case until the court has decided. We should definitely give them a lesson,” Coronica emphasized.
This follows a drug buy-bust operation on Jan. 15 in Barangay Kauswagan, City Proper, wherein the two subjects were found to have pending theft cases.
During the said operation, two high-value drug suspects, identified as Ernesto Guevarra and Ryan Bordon, were apprehended with approximately P1.7 million worth of shabu.
Upon police verification, it was found that Guevarra had six pending theft cases, three of which were already settled, while Bordon had three similar cases, one of which was already resolved.
Coronica further explained that by pursuing these cases in court, the police can be assisted in combating criminality. (With reporting from RMN Iloilo)/PN
