Contractor's backhoe pilfered

CEBU, Philippines - Three people surrendered yesterday to a barangay official and admitted stealing parts of a backhoe owned by a Cebu City contractor working for road repairs in the mountain barangays.

Benjie Debako, 18; and two minors turned themselves in to Babag councilwoman Gina Gabantog following an investigation into the pilferage of the parts of the heavy equipment

Three people, including two minors, owned up to the reported pilferage of the parts of the backhoe owned by E.M. Arante Construction over the weekend.

The self-confessed thieves were also tagged in the series of theft incidents in the barangay, including the most recent stealing of 10 hybrid chicks from a farm in Barangay Babag. They however denied the other incidents of theft. They only admitted to cannibalizing the backhoe and sold the parts for scrap.

The backhoe, which was parked near the river, was left by the construction workers unattended over the weekend. The police were able to recover the equipment’s radiator tank from a nearby junkshop.

Supt. Carmelo Dayon, chief of the CCPO Public Safety Company, said they are still looking for the hydraulic crane and bucket.

The suspects told the police that they sold the bucket for only P1,700. The contractor has reportedly agreed not to press charges against the suspects if they will return the stolen parts.–(FREEMAN)