Man who burglarized zoo arrested

CEBU, Philippines - The police arrested Saturday the suspect of the burglary at the Cebu Zoo five days ago.

Jonathan Cantuba, 36, a carpenter, admitted to the police that he was responsible for the burglary last Wednesday.

“Hadlok man ko sir pero no choice na ko sir kay pila na ko ka adlaw way kaon,” said Cantuba in an interview with the media.

He also admitted that he was the one who took the plastic drums from the zoo a day before the burglary.

Cantuba said he sold the plastic drums for P300 but denied that he took all ten. He said he only took 3 big plastic drums.

He also denied taking the metal box that according to the zoo manager Giovanne Romarate had P4,000 to P6,000 of cash inside.

“Ambot lang sir, walay kwarta didto sir, wala gyud sir,” he said.

Cantuba said that he acted alone when he took the plastic drums, the iPad mini and the cellphone.

Police recovered the plastic drums, the ipad mini and a revolver known as a “.45 nga de bola”.

He further admitted that he swapped the cellphone with a silver necklace which the police failed to recover.

Chief Inspector Romeo Santander, City Intelligence Branch chief, said that the suspect was arrested after he went back to Kalunasan to deal the plastic drums to the residents.

“Namaligya siya nga doul sa area nya sigi siyag panabi kinsay ganahan mopalit og drums,” he said.

He was immediately arrested by the police due to circumstantial evidence pointing to him as the culprit to the crime, which he also admitted.

“We are very certain sa identity gipangutana nato ang gibaligyaan niya siya ang nagbaligya, ang tablet sa Banawa identified siya ang nag-deal,” Santander said.  (FREEMAN)