MANILA, Philippines — The “honesty store” of the Manila Police District (MPD) suffered a setback after it reportedly lost more than P10,000 from a thief who regularly “collected” the proceeds.
The good part is, MPD officials said, they have identified the suspect as a female “striker” or assistant who had worked for them for several years.
The MPD general assignment and investigation section (GAIS) is preparing charges against “Liza,” who used to work at the district personnel division.
Senior Police Officer 3 James Poso, GAIS investigator, said the manager of the MPD Manila’s Finest Brotherhood noticed the sudden decline in sales this month – two months after the store was launched.
“The manager asked for a copy of the (closed-circuit television footage) and saw (Liza) pocketing the sales. It is believed that (she) may have been coming back to collect the proceeds every time she noticed that the box was full,” Poso said.
Superintendent Olive Sagaysay, MPD personnel division chief, said she immediately fired Liza after the incident.
Senior Superintendent Danilo Macerin, MPD-chief of directorial staff, said he is not disheartened by the development because “at least our (police officers) were not involved in it.”
“We still consider the project successful despite what happened because we have proven that our (police officers) are capable of being honest,” Macerin told The STAR.
He added that he has ordered the replenishment of supplies and “it is business as usual.”
MPD director Chief Superintendent Rolando Anduyan launched the district’s honesty store at the lobby of the MPD headquarters along UN Avenue on June 9.
The store sells food, beverages, noodles, and other items and is left unattended. It is modeled after the Honesty Cafe in Batanes.
“We would like to open the eyes of the (police officers) that if they can be honest in small things they can also be trustworthy in bigger things,” Anduyan said during the launching.
He said the store’s target customers are the police officers on duty, visitors and other guests who frequent the headquarters.
Anduyan said the proceeds will be used to enhance the store until such time that “everybody gets used to it.”
The MPD honesty store is the first of its kind in any police station in the country.