Worst fears realized?: 100 kilos of wire stolen from SRP

An estimated 100 kilos of electric wires were stolen from the South Reclamation Project yesterday dawn and the police have identified the culprits, but would not name them yet.

The police were able to recover a few kilos of the said wires and its rubber insulation in one of the houses in barangay Pasil yesterday morning after receiving a tip from the residents.

Residents along the roadside of the South Reclamation Project reportedly called up former Pasil barangay councilman Christopher Ong, now the assistant head of the Revenue Task Force of the Cebu City Hall. Ong then immediately informed Mayor Tomas Osmeña about the incident.

Ong together with Crimial Intelligence and Investigation Bureau chief P/Supt. Paul Labra proceeded to the area to check the report and they found out that the electric wires that were connected to the streetlights of the SRP were sawed off using a hacksaw.

Ong said that during a follow-up operation they were informed by residents of barangay Pasil that two men on board a trisikad were carrying two sacks of bronze wires and were on their way to Sitio Magsaysay, in the barangay.

However, the barangay tanods failed to intercept the stolen wires, but they were able to trace the house were the suspects were scraping the rubber insulation of the electric wires.

Police were only able to recover the rubber insulation and a few kilos of the electric wires and brought the items to the Cebu City Police Office to be used as evidence.

Labra said that they have already identified the three suspects, but he will not yet divulge their names not until they will be arrested, as he believes that these suspects were the ones involved in the series of robberies inside the SRP when it opened last October 18.

A junkshop owner told Ong and Labra that 100 kilos of bronze wires could fetch around P4,000.

Another theft at the SRP was however foiled last Thursday morning when police arrested a man, who was caught in the act of stealing PVC pipes.

Residents of the place called the police to report the theft.

Joel Balawit, 22 years old, single and a resident of Alaska, barangay Mambaling was caught while detaching the PVC pipes, which were attached under the bridge of the SRP.

The said PVC pipes were estimated to be worth P3,500.

Also seized from Balawit were three aluminum foils used for sniffing shabu was also seized from him. The suspect reportedly admitted to being a drug user.

Balawit is now detained at the CCPO stockade at Camp Sotero Cabahug.

Labra yesterday said that it was the fourth incident of theft since the South Coastal Road was opened to the public last October 18.

Mayor Tomas Osmena ironically replied in a text message, "the losses are not real, this are just imagination, I know Judge Peras will agree with me, that's why he did not allow Atty. Alfredo Sipalay to post a bond, when he ordered the re-opening of the coastal road." - with Mitchelle P. Calipayan