Nine kiosks lose P.6M to burglars

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — More than P600,000 worth of cash and assorted products were carted away by still unidentified burglars who struck nine kiosks at a mall in Barangay Singcang-Airport, this city, Sunday.

Inspector Elmer Bonilla, Police Station 8 chief, said the robbers fled with nine pieces of Time-X watches and P32,405 in cash from the kiosk of Surya International Cybershades; P540,000 worth of watches from Surya International Watches; a laptop worth P15,000 from Krystal Tech; assorted sandals from Sandugo Sandals; assorted cosmetics, wallet and two cellular phones from Barbara Pearls and Cosmetic; a Pita bread and one liter of ice tea from Lylam Shaawarma; and a laptop worth P50,000 from Daves Fun House.

The robbers also ransacked the kiosks of Thirsty Juices and Shakes, and Kettle Korn.

Bonilla said a suspicious man, who was carrying a backpack, was seen by the mall guards and followed him to a fastfood chain at 6th Lacson Street. When the man noticed the tailing guards, he escaped leaving the backpack inside a taxi.

In a follow-up investigation, the police recovered three backpacks containing assorted stolen items from the ceiling of the second floor of the mall.

Bonilla said one of the suspects may have posed as an employee, as he theorized that they ransacked the kiosks Saturday evening and hide the stolen items in the ceiling, where there is an ongoing construction. Police are still investigating the incident.— (FREEMAN)