Sinulog burglary: Rama orders cops to recover money

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama ordered the Cebu City Police Office to do all means to recover the P1.6 million that the Sinulog Foundation Inc. lost to burglars Monday dawn.

The members of the SFI Board of Trustees, during a special meeting yesterday morning, requested the appearance of city police director Ramon Melvin Buenafe to to update them on the CCPO’s investigation.

Rama said he is confident that the police can solve the case immediately.

He said since everybody can be considered a suspect in the incident, the police must investigate all employees of SFI and the Sports Center Management Office.

The mayor is saddened by the incident because it affected the reputation of the foundation, which worked hard for the success of the Sinulog.

The board has decided to refund the P757,000 talent fee of Victor Cuenco and the dancers who performed in the grand finale.

Rama, the chairman of the SFI, said the talent fee of the dancers will be directly released to them.

SFI executive director Ricky Ballesteros said they will release the talent fee but they still have to raise it through sponsorships and other revenue-generating activities of the foundation.

Another suspect

Aside from security guard Joselyndon Jabagat, who was tagged in the burglary, the police are also looking for another person whom they believed to be Jabagat’s accomplice. 

“Naa tay gipangita nga lain. Padayon ang atong pag-trace sa possible nga kauban niya (Jabagat),” Buenafe said.

Buenafe claims that Jabagat could not have worked alone during the burglary.

Buenafe believed that the culprit could have only perpetuated the crime through a tipster from within the SFI or the Cebu City Sport Center office.

“We cannot disclose the details of this (investigation) kay naa na sa piskaliya ang kaso,” he said.

He refrained from divulging more information regarding their investigation so as not to jeopardize their operation. 

Ballesteros said it is possible that Jabagat has accomplice within the SFI.

“For sure, kay kinsa may mosulod dinhi sa sports center kun wala kay kaisog ug contact,” Ballesteros said.

Ballesteros also said he has other suspects in mind aside from Jabagat.

Inspection

Buenafe, together with Insp. Rolando Pinili, chief of CCPO Theft and Robbery Section, and Chief Insp. Bonifacio Garciano, chief of the Investigation and Detection Management Branch, conducted an ocular inspection at the crime scene yesterday.

A team from the Scene of the Crime Operatives also presented evidence, which included two bolt cutters, a green shoe box and an envelope.

Elena Almaris, a SOCO investigator, told The FREEMAN that they failed to lift fingerprints from the evidence they have recovered from the crime scene.

“Rough kaay ang surface sa bolt cutter ug sa tabon (volt) mao nga wala mi-ka kuha og clear nga mga fingerprints,” she said.

Work abuses

Superintendent Rex Derilo, chief of Firearms and Explosives, Security Agency and Guards Section (FESAGS)–7, told The FREEMAN that they are currently gathering evidence on the possibility of filing administrative charges against the CCSC and the GDS Security and Detective Agency and General Services for allowing securing guards to work 24 hours in a shift.

Derilo said the advisable hours per shift for a security guard should only be eight hours.

“It’s too much, kay di man super hero o robot ang mga guard. Di na siya (guard) efficient kun mo-lapas na og eight hours,” he said.

Jabagat’s employer and the agency violated Republic Act 5487 or the Private Security Agency Law, Derilo said.

Jabagat will also face a separate administrative charge for sleeping during his shift, said Derilo. 

“The job of a security guard is to secure the property of his clients,” Derilo said.

If convicted, Jabagat will likely lose his license.

Polygraph test

The National Bureau of Investigation will conduct a polygraph test on the suspect and the witnesses today.

NBI Assistant Regional Director Lauro Reyes said they received a request from Insp. Rolando Pinili asking for their assistance in the investigation.

Pinili wanted Jabagat, utility worker Manuel Quemada, security guard Jon Eric Carcedo, maintenance Rosita Velasco and Sinulog staff John Michael Pepito to undergo polygraph test or lie detector test.

 “We will conduct the test immediately kasi mainit na balita ito, while waiting for the reply coming from the NBI Central Office,” Reyes said.

Polygraph examiner chief Ronilo Rocal demonstrated to the media how the test will be done.

He said the subject will be facing the wall while he/she will be interrogated.

Rocal said they will determine if the subject is lying when there is irregularity in the phasing that usually caused the changes of breathing and pulse rate.- Jessica Ann R. Pareja, Ryan Christopher J. Sorote and Mylen P. Manto/LPM (FREEMAN)