CEBU, Philippines - A rural bank along B. Rodriguez Street in Barangay Cogon, Bogo City was burglarized by unidentified men early morning yesterday while the said barangay was celebrating its yearly feast.
But ASPAC Bank only lost P400 cash, which was taken from the cashier’s drawer after the suspects reportedly failed to open the cash vault. Authorities suspect they might have run out of acetylene gas to completely break open the vault’s lock.
Responding policemen recovered two empty five-kilogram tanks of acetylene gas, an empty small Shellane tank, hand drill, saw, and a hand made scythe inside the establishment.
Chief Inspector Ceferino Tabay, chief of the Bogo Police Station told The FREEMAN that the suspects also cut off the wires of the close-circuit television (CCTV) camera and the automatic alarm of the bank that were connected to the police station. This was reportedly the reason why the police failed to immediately respond to the burglary.
“Gi-timing nila nga pista kay kusog ang sounds unya dili pud madunggan ang saba sa pag-bangag,” Tabay said.
Tabay said the CCTV camera still managed to capture the identity of one of the suspects for a few seconds before the line went off.
The suspects allegedly entered the bank through a hole they bore on the concrete wall at the back portion of the building. The hole, bore using a hand drill, was reportedly enough for a person to wiggle into the building. Police said it should be the person who entered through the hole who destroyed the lock of the door from inside to let his companions in.
Manny Ngujo, branch manager of the bank, confirmed that the burglars failed to open the vault and that only P400 was lost.
Ngujo said the suspects might have familiarized the inside details of the bank since they apparently had knowledge where the CCTV camera and alarm were placed and connected to.
Members of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) and the Bogo police are now determining the identity of the person captured by the CCTV camera. —(FREEMAN)