No rest for burglars, robbers on Holy Week

CEBU, Philippines - Burglars broke into a house in PC Hills in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City, taking valuables worth at least P4 million while the owners were away for the Holy Week.

Kate Anzani, 34, said they discovered the burglary past 6 a.m. Saturday when she and her husband arrived home. They decided to call the police for help when they noticed that something had gone wrong.

Personnel of the Theft and Robbery Section and Crime Scene Investigation Unit of the city police said the suspects most likely climbed over the fence at the back portion of the compound and entered the house through the room of the couple’s daughter.

Authorities also found out that the burglars took away a watch collection consisting of 12 wrist watches estimated to worth around P4 million; a camera worth P50, 000; and a box of jewelry worth P200,000.

Earlier, Chief Insp. Romeo Santander, chief of the intelligence branch of the Cebu City Police Office, warned the public not to leave their houses unwatched during the Holy Week specifically to avoid unscrupulous individuals from taking advantage of the situation.

Last year, police also recorded several burglary incidents during the Holy Week.

Meanwhile, in Mandaue City, policemen arrested a man during a hot pursuit after the suspect and two cohorts robbed a jeepney passenger of his belongings while on board the vehicle past midnight yesterday.

SPO1 Renato Canj of the Casuntingan Police said the victim, Noel Rollon, 25, was on board the jeepney when the suspects declared a holdup while the vehicle was travelling along A.S. Fortuna Street. One of the suspects pointed a gun at Rollon while another pointed a kitchen knife at him. The suspects then took away Rollon’s two mobile phones and wallet and fled. 

It so happened that the a group of policemen and barangay tanods were patrolling the area at that time, thus, Rollon and the jeepney driver managed to call for help.

A hot pursuit led to the arrest of Ralph Jason Macion, 28, whom Rollon identified as one of the three men who robbed him.

Macion was arrested while walking near the Punayan compound and police recovered from him Rollon’s phones. 

Another robbery victim, Aron Enriquez, 23, a nurse of the Mandaue City Hospital, was not as fortunate, however, after robbers took away his wallet and mobile while he was walking along A. Fortuna Extension in Barangay Guizo, also in Mandaue City on Good Friday.  (FREEMAN)