Woman loses P260T in cash and jewelry on Christmas Day

CEBU, Philippines - An entrepreneur has lost about P260,000 to unidentified burglars who ransacked her house on a Christmas Day in Barangay Bolocboloc, Barili at around 10:00 in the evening.

Evangeline Buna, 43, and her sister, Margarita Caquilala, 31, just arrived home from a Christmas vacation when they saw their house helper, Cherry Ann Tecson, 14, lying unconscious on the floor, hogtied and mouth covered with a piece of cloth.

When victims checked the house they noticed the disarrayed things and their valuables were missing.

Among the items lost were a Chinese gold chocker, P45,000; two pieces Chinese gold bracelets, P80,000; Chinese gold necklace, P60,000; a pair of Chinese gold earrings, P20,000; Seiko 5 wrist watch, P18,000; a Chinese gold ring, P18,000; a Chinese gold ring, P16,000; and P1,095 cash.

Police investigation revealed that Tecson, working student, was alone at that time attending the house while Buna was away for a vacation with Caquilala.

Around 7:00 p.m. Tecson reportedly left the house and went to the internet café of Buna located at the public market in Barangay Poblacion. She then decided to go home three hours later.

Tecson alleged that when she entered the house an unidentified man wearing a black jacket and face covered with a bonnet suddenly grabbed her.

The robber then covered her mouth with a handkerchief causing Tecson to become unconscious.

Police said it was Caquilala who untied Tecson when they arrived that night.

Insp. Arvi Arbuis, Barili police chief, said that robbers possibly gained entrance by sawing the steel grill of the window at the back portion of the house.

“Posible gihinay-hinayan og gabas samtang wala’y tao,” he said in a phone interview.

Arbuis added that robbers could be a neighbor of the victims who was keeping an eye of the house and took the chance to carry out the crime when nobody was around.

“Taga diha ra na kay suhito man dugay ra nang naniid diha,” he said.

Police are now conducting follow-up investigation for the possible identification as well as to arrest the culprits.— (FREEMAN)