2 men end up in jail for water meter theft

Two men will spend four months in jail for stealing water meters belonging to the Metropolitan Cebu Water District. Elaudor Balawit and Daniel Intong pleaded guilty to the charge.

MCWD employee Fermin Lape caught Balawit and Intong stealing water meters at Petra Compound in Aznar Road, barangay Sambag I last September 8. Both were arrested with the help from bystanders. They are now detained at the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center.

The MCWD management duly rewarded Lape for taking the risk in going after the two thieves. Terry Andaya, MCWD public affairs manager, said the company offers financial rewards to anybody who could give information that would lead to the arrest of either a 'fence" or an accomplice of a thief. Reward money ranges from P10, 000 to P25,000.

Andaya describes a fence as someone "who sells, buys, receives, possesses, acquires, and conceals stolen water meters while an accomplice of a fence is one who takes, carries away, removes or transfers with or without the use of a motor vehicle or other means of conveyance." - Ryan P. Borinaga