Foreigner's wallet turns up in trash bin

CEBU, Philippines - A 17-year-old Brazilian national lost her wallet and mobile phone inside a beach resort in Barangay Liloan, Santander at around 3 pm last Friday.

The items owned by Marillia De Jesus Van Duyne, a resident of Apolong, Valencia, Negro Oriental, was found the following day in the trash bin of one of the resort’s guest rooms.

Investigation showed that prior to the incident, Van Duyne, a student of Montessori International School in Negros Oriental, was enjoying the resort’s pool along with her nine classmates and four teachers.

At around 3 pm, the resort’s employee, Jenny Sagmon, called up the Santander Police Station and informed them that Van Duyne’s wallet was stolen and she was asking for police assistance.

Investigation further showed that the victim placed her red wallet and mobile phone on top of the table near the pool and left it there for about an hour. The wallet contained P600, driver’s license and some identification cards.

The foreigner reportedly returned to get the items back only to find out that these were already gone.

She immediately informed her teachers and classmates as well as the resort management regarding the incident.

The teachers asked all the students to gather their bags and inspect them one by one hoping to locate the missing items but they were not found.

The police conducted investigation on the assigned lifeguard of the pool, Danilo Bacalso, who then claimed that he still saw the items on the table after doing his duty and before proceeding to the resort kitchen to eat his lunch at 2 pm. He returned ten minutes later and was surprised when one of the teachers informed him that the items were missing.

SPO1 Gabriel Discarten of the Santander Police Station said the items were found by the room boy the following morning, thrown into the trash bin of the guest room occupied by the victim and her classmates.

“Posible usa ra to sa mga classmates na nasuya ba ‘ron niya ug gibinuangan siya,(It is possible that one of her classmates may be jealous and played a prank on her.)” Discarten said, adding that the items inside the wallet were all intact.  (FREEMAN)