Sinulog Foundation burglary: Polygraph results out, PNP mum on details

CEBU, Philippines - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has released the results of the polygraph tests conducted on the staff of the Sinulog Foundation Incorporated and the Cebu City Sports Center last week in line with the police investigation on the 1.6 million burglary inside the CCSC a day after the Sinulog grand parade.

Sr. Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe, Cebu City Police Office Director, said the results released by the NBI Central Visayas were directly sent to the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.

 He did not specify the date when the test results were released but based on normal procedure, polygraph results can be released within minutes.

Buenafe however did not reveal the results of the test, adding that the case is already under the jurisdiction of the prosecutor’s office.

He said, though the results will only support their evidence, whatever the test yielded will help them in further investigation.Buenafe added that they might also discover other possible suspects through the test.

He denied speculations that incident might have been staged.

“There are so many speculations on this matter, but the job of the police is to investigate and to find what really happened,” Buenafe said.

 Those who took the test were Ricky Ballesteros, Sinulog Foundation Inc. Executive Director; Eldibrando Velasquez, CCSC executive director; cashier Mary Angeline Pascual; Manuel Quemada, utility crew; Jon Eric Carcedo, security guard; Rosita Velasco, maintenance and John Michael Pepito, sinulog staff.

 The alleged suspect of the burglary, Security Guard Joselyndo Jabagat of GDS Security Agency, was not subjected to a polygraph test.

Jabagat, who was on-duty during the burglary, reportedly slept twice during his 24-hour shift.

Police also believed that Jabagat might have an accomplice in the crime.

 The unknown perpetrator, using a crowbar, opened the vault inside the CCSC where the SFI money was placed for safekeeping. — (FREEMAN)