Zapatera tanods nab four jeepney thieves

FOUR suspected thieves were arrested by tanods Tuesday night at barangay Zapatera shortly after they allegedly stole the wallet of a 26-year-old woman inside a Lahug-Colon jeepney.

The four were believed to be members of “sikit-sikit” group, who are known to sit closely with jeepney passengers to steal money.

Zapatera councilman Franklin Benedicto led the barangay tanods in catching the suspects: Rodel Catalan, 32, Fernando Sicsic, 36, Bartolome Eco Jr, 28, and Joemar Dasigan, 22 – all natives of Ormoc City.

The tanods responded to the shout for help from the victim, 26-year-old Christine Parohinog, who lost her wallet to the four suspects.

Parohinog, in an affidavit she signed at the City Police yesterday, stated that she was on a jeepney (04C-route) with her boyfriend and other passengers, including the four suspects who sat on her other side.

When the jeepney reached the corner of R. Landon and D. Jakosalem streets in Zapatera, the four immediately disembarked and ran away just as soon as Parohinog noticed her wallet, containing P27,300, missing.

“When I noticed that my wallet was missing inside my shoulder bag, the suspects immediately disembarked from the vehicle and ran away. So I sought assistance from the barangay hall of Zapatera ... they responded,” Parohinog said.

The tanods got the four but not the money because the four said their two other group members had escaped with it. They named them however as Chito Dalinso and Ricardo Urbano.

City Police’s crimes against property section chief, Anthony Bastes, said the suspects were the same people

arrested in Lapu-Lapu City last October for vagrancy but were released after they posted bail.

The police are set to file charges today against the four suspects who are temporarily detained at the Cebu City Police detention center. — Garry B. Lao/RAE