CEBU - If you think defending criminals for free immunes you from being a victim of crimes, think again.
At least five lawyers of the Public Attorney’s Office have been victims of theft in no less than their own office at the Palace of Justice, the recent incident happened shortly before midday yesterday when a woman who pretended to be the client of lawyer Baby Maria Concepcion Landera stole the latter’s bag.
Regional public attorney Maria G-Ree Calinawan said Landera was attending to a case in court when the woman arrived at the PAO office with a child and looked for Landera.
The woman was told to wait at the waiting lounge but later chose to stay inside Landera’s cubicle, as she was reportedly told to do so.
They later found out that Landera’s bag was missing and in its place was a man’s bag. The bag contained Landera’s cellular phone, wallet, ATM and credit cards. The remittance card of her husband who is working abroad was also taken.
Calinawan said the suspect might have also tinkered with the bag of lawyer Alrey Ouano who shares the cubicle with Landera because Ouano’s bag was already open, although, nothing was taken from it.
“Very ironic ba nga we are defending criminals unya kami kawatan,” Calinawan said.
The crimes were consummated amidst the very tight security being implemented at the Palace of Justice.
Aside from what happened yesterday, Calinawan said most recent incident happened three weeks ago when the mobile phones of lawyers Leizl Visaya and Claire Cruz were stolen also inside the PAO office. Last year, lawyers Christine Ligtas and Lucerio Bagcay, Jr. also lost their wallets and phones to an unidentified thief.
For additional security, Calinawan said she would no longer allow clients to get inside the lawyers’ cubicles unless called by the lawyers themselves. She would also put a barrier between the lawyers’ cubicles and the waiting lounge. — Fred P. Languido/JMO