P2.6 M lost in Mandauyong office theft

Unidentified thieves stole into the treasury office of Mandaluyong City over the weekend and carted away P2.6 million in collections intended for salaries of casual employees.

An angry Mayor Benhur Abalos Jr. ordered a thorough probe of the incident following initial police reports that the cash division, housing the treasury office, bore no sign of forced entry, triggering speculations that the theft was an "inside job."

The loss was discovered by window 5 cashier Juliet Canonizado, 44, of Barangka Drive, when she reported for work at 8:30 a.m. yesterday. Canonizado said she was surprised to find that the safety vault, where the money was kept, was already unlocked when she inserted her key.

Upon being apprised, Superintendent Jose Gentiles, Mandaluyong City police chief, dispatched police scene of the crime officers (SOCO) to lift fingerprints and gather evidence at the crime scene.

Gentiles said the officers reported no sign of forced entry into the room located on the ground floor of the three-story city hall in Maysilo compound. The vault was not forcibly opened.

The cash division is only a stone’s throw away from police headquarters. But the building is secured not by the police but by private security guards and Public Order and Safety Officers (POSO) under the office of Mayor Abalos. – Non Alquitran