Housemaid hunted for robbing employer of P4.5-M jewelry

MANILA, Philippines - Police are hunting down a housemaid who allegedly robbed her employer of P4.5 million worth of jewelry in San Juan City on Friday.

Businessman Philip Lim, 50, has offered a P100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Ma. Leny Selibio, 42, of San Joaquin, Iloilo.

An investigation conducted by San Juan police chief Senior Superintendent Ariel Arcinas showed that Selibio took from Lim’s cabinet two Rolex watches, a Philip Stein watch, a Technomarine watch, two bracelets with diamonds and four gold necklaces with pendants amounting to P4.53 million.

Arcinas said Lim discovered the robbery when he returned home from a one-week business trip to Hong Kong at his condominium unit on Lt. Artiaga street in Barangay Corazon de Jesus on Aug. 21.

Lim said he found his room in disarray and his jewelry missing, prompting him to report the incident to the police.

Arcinas said Lim hired Selibio from an agency two months ago.

Selibio was left behind in the condo unit with Lim’s two children when he went to Hong Kong.

Police said a closed-circuit television footage caught Selibio handing over money to the condominium’s security guard before she escaped on Friday afternoon.

Arcinas told The STAR that the address given by Selibio in Bacoor, Cavite turned out to be fictitious.

A background investigation conducted by Arcinas revealed that Selibio is separated from her husband, a policeman assigned in the Calabarzon area.

Arcinas created a police team to hunt down Selibio.