Man loses gear worth P150T to thief

CEBU, Philippines - A photographer lost around P150,000 worth of camera equipment to a car thief yesterday dawn along Justice St., Peace Valley, Barangay Lahug, Cebu City.

Justin Rama, 23, discovered that his equipment was gone after he saw his car’s back passenger window smashed in at around 2:30 a.m. 

The victim lost a DSLR camera worth P40,000; two lenses worth P70,000; a 1GB SD card worth P1,000; two Sanpak’s worth P1,000; a camera bag worth P3,000; an iPod Touch worth P13,000 and several sunglasses worth P13,000.

Based on initial investigation, the assailant broke the vehicle’s window using a hard and big object which shattered the glass easily.

The investigators further said that the assailant already noticed the loot inside the car and only waited until it was late in the night to strike.

Investigators further warned the public not to leave valuables inside their car overnight, adding that this will further entice even pedestrians to become robbers if given the opportunity and the right circumstances.

Meanwhile, the alleged mastermind of a gang specializing in car break-ins admitted his involvement in several thefts in Mandaue City and Cebu City.

The Cebu Provincial Police Office said Jules Gumban, of Barangay Banilad, was involved in 10 break-ins in Cebu City and possibly in 20 incidents of the same nature in Mandaue City.

Gumban was arrested by the Task Force on Heinous Crimes of the CPPO last Saturday evening in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City.

Chief Insp. George Ylanan, who headed the task force, handcuffed Gumban after he served the warrant of arrest for theft issued by Judge Wilfredo Nemesio of the Regional Trial Court-Talisay City Branch 53 on June 30.

Gumban was once caught by a security camera smashing a car window parked in Club Ultima.

Gumban was initially spotted in Mandaue City driving a gray Mitsubishi Lancer with license plate numbers GEE-707, the police started their operation but failed to arrest him. They then received information that Gumban was in Barangay Lahug.

This time, police carried out their operation. A brief chase happened before Gumban was arrested in a congested street in Lahug.

Police recovered from him a plastic sachet with suspected shabu, drug paraphernalia, a spark plug component, a hammer and a disposable lighter. The car he was driving was believed to be owned by someone else. Comendador said that they are now monitoring Gumban’s accomplices in the cities of Mandaue and Cebu.

“Naay kauban subject na sa Mandaue ang pag- follow up niini, kining grupoha way klaro kinsay leader nila,” Cebu Provincial Police Office director Patrocinio Comendador said.

The task force and the Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Branch are also now tracing where the gun owned by a former Leyte mayor was pawned.

The said mayor’s car was victimized by Gumban last 2009 while his vehicle was parked outside the Capitol Parish Church in Barangay Kamputhaw.   - (THE FREEMAN)