Pawnshop employees face raps for loss of cash, jewelry

CEBU, Philippines -  The city prosecutor’s office has indicted a vault custodian and a cashier of a pawnshop over the loss of P7.6 million worth of cash and jewelry.

Prosecutor Mario Ley Gidayawan recommended no bail for Christine Simugan and Estela Gilo.

Gidayawan elevated the case before the Regional Trial Court after he found probable cause in the complaint filed by Joanne Santos and Jhonalyn Caballero.

In an affidavit executed, the complainants said they knew Simugan and Gilo because they were their co-employees at the pawnshop. Simugan was reportedly assigned as vault custodian and sales lady while Gilo was a cashier assigned at their branch at a mall along Colon Street.

Complainants said that around 10:30 am on May 3, 2011, they arrived at the branch to conduct on-the-spot inventory audit. However, the branch was not yet open since Simugan, who had access to the vault combination, had not yet arrived.

Santos said they asked Gilo, the cashier, regarding Simugan’s whereabouts but the latter said Simugan has not been reporting for two days on May 1 and 2.

Complainants said Gilo violated company rules when she did not report Simugan’s absence to their head office. During Simugan’s absence, Gilo reportedly took custody of the cash and jewelry at the pawnshop up to May 3.

“That in the above statement we strongly believe that there was a conspiracy between Christine Simugan and Estela Gilo for the loss in cash and jewelry of the said branch,” joint-affidavit reads.

Complainants said they noticed that there was defect in the vault combination for which they sought assistance from their vault supplier in Cebu. Complainants said the vault supplier had to open the vault forcibly in Gilo’s and the complainants’ presence.

“When the vault was opened we were surprised that all the contents in cash and jewelry items are all gone in a total of P7,642,379.50,” complainants said. — (FREEMAN)