2 suspects fall: Salinas Drive houseowner losses P233,500 to burglars

CEBU, Philippines - Two of the five thieves were caught and three are still on the loose after stealing P233, 500 worth of belongings from a house during Christmas Eve on Salinas Drive Lahug, Cebu City.

 One of the suspects, Jason Saison, 27, resident of sitio Tangiling, Livinghills, Cebu City, however denied he was among those who burglarized the house of Dr. Vivina Chiu on December 25, at around 12:45 a.m.

 The other arrested suspect, Raul Rodrigo, a neighbor of Saison, tagged the latter as one of them who climbed the fence of Chiu’s house to steal things inside.

 SPO1 Jeffrey Diola of the Theft and Robbery Section said a neighbor of Chiu saw five men climbing the fence.

 Chiu immediately called up Mabolo Police Station when he noticed the incident.

Police officers who responded to the area chased the suspects but only Rodrigo was arrested while the four others were able to escape.

Rodrigo later on identified Saison as one of his companions.

With the help of Rodrigo’s relative, Mabolo policemen, in cooperation with the TRS personnel, conducted a hot pursuit operation and arrested Saison at his house at 12 p.m. of December 28.

According to Saison, Rodrigo went to their house at around 9:30 p.m, on the day of the theft incident wherein he offered him some food and beers to drink but the latter left later on.

Police said all in all, an estimated P233,500 worth of valuables like cell phones, digital cameras, wall clock, ivory and porcelain, and a painting worth more than P200,000 were carted away by the suspects.

Diola said this is not the first time that Chiu’s house was hit by burglars as sometime in 2008, an estimated P2 million worth of belongings were also stolen from his house.

The police are still on search for the remaining suspects who are identified by Rodrigo as Jessie Usigan and a certain “Omeng.” Rodrigo failed to identify their remaining companion. — (FREEMAN)