BIR Christmas bonus stolen

It will be a bleak Christmas for the employees of the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s Region 6 Manila branch office.

This, after thieves stole P5 million in cash intended for their annual Christmas bonus from the Cashiering Unit office of the BIR Manila’s Administrative Division at the sixth floor of the BIR Manila building in Port Area.

Investigators of the Theft and Robbery Section of the Western Police District said that the theft was discovered yesterday morning by cashier Alma Quintos, 42, of 18-E Pitimini St., Frisco, Del Monte in Quezon City.

According to PO3 Gordius Alumbro, investigation points to a possible "inside job" as there were no signs of forced entry at the cashiering unit’s office and the locked steel file cabinet where the money was kept.

Alumbro theorized that the robbery could have happened between 5:10 p.m. the other day and 6:30 a.m. yesterday.

"According to Quintos, the cash was not kept in the office vault as the vault was reportedly broken so they decided to lock-up the cash in the steel file cabinet," said Alumbro.

Police said the office recently withdrew P6 million for the employees’ bonuses. Luckily, P1.5 million had been distributed prior to the robbery.

Alumbro said they intend to question Quintos and her officemates Yolanda Berana, 50, a computer operator; Sarah Dolina, 35; and Maria Concepcion Malinao, 29. Police said Quintos and her three officemates all had keys to the office.

Police also intend to question the guards who were on duty at the time of the robbery.

Meanwhile, National Bureau of Investigation agents arrested the other day eight men, including a Manila policeman, for the alleged hijack of imported car tires worth at least P700,000.

The arrested suspects were identified as Police Officer 3 Romeo Noriega, 37, a member of the Western Police District’s District Police Intelligence Unit, and resident of 310 Romana St., Velasquez, Tondo; Joel Marcelo, 40, of 736 4th St., Old Torres, Tondo; Alfredo Catubis, 31, of Binauangan, Obando, Bulacan; Jay Byron Ilagan, 29, of Camia St., San Pablo City, Laguna; Rey Manalaysay, 36, also of Binuangan, Obando, Bulacan; Luis Flores, 31, of San Pedor, Malvar, Batangas; Joaquin Malabanan, 39, Del Memento, San Pablo City, Laguna; and Frederick Manalaysay, of 726, Old Torres St., Tondo, Manila.

According to the NBI’s Domestic Intelligence Services, men armed with knives allegedly flagged down a 40-foot container van with plate number TEN-609 at about 3 a.m. last Nov. 16 near the Makro Supermarket in Navotas.

The suspects commandeered the truck filled with 730 sets of "Double Happiness" tires and hog-tied the driver, Roger Lepasana and helper Primitivo Baidal.

Baidal and Lepasana were later abandoned by the suspects along R-10 Road in Navotas, the NBI said. The owner of the stolen cargo, Romualdo Celestra later sought the NBI’s help which immediately started a surveillance operation.

Last Monday afternoon, NBI agents received a tip that a truck loaded with tires was about to leave a waterhouse compound at 45 Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City.

Immediately, agents led by Rustico Vigilia were dispatched to the scene and stopped the truck.

The agents also checked the compound and found rubber tires bearing the "Double Happiness" brand neatly stacked inside. The NBI said the tires found inside the compound were similar to the ones stolen.

According to the NBI, the eight suspects were inside the compound during the raid and were asked, but failed to present proof of ownership of the tires. Noriega, the lessee of the warehouse, Marcelo, the caretaker, and the other suspects, were invited for questioning.

Investigation showed that the tires recovered at the suspects’ warehouse were the same tires stolen in Navotas.

Charges of violation of the Anti-Piracy and Anti-Highway Robbery Law were filed by the NBI against the suspects who are detained at the NBI jail. Bail for the suspects’ temporary liberty was set at P100,000 each.

The NBI also recommended the prosecution of Lepasana and two other John Does after they were allegedly found to be involved in the heist.