Mandaluyong Comelec office burglarized, loses computers

Robbers broke into the local Commission of Elections (Comelec) office in Mandaluyong City yesterday, taking with them four computers.

Superintendent Ericson Velasquez, Mandaluyong City police chief said the robbers entered the Comelec office by destroying he padlock of the main door.

Velasquez said they received a report of the break-in at the Comelec office, which is just a stone’s throw away from police headquarters, at 4 a.m.

"We are still awaiting inventory of the missing items inside the Comelec office," said Velasquez adding that initial findings showed that four CPUs were missing.

Velasquez noted that the robbers even turned on the office electric fan apparently to cool themselves while staging the robbery.

He pointed out that there is no cash in the said office but only documents. "What puzzles us is that they took only the CPUs," Velasquez said.

In Malabon, four men landed in jail after they were caught cutting off several meters of cable from a Bayantel transmission line early yesterday morning.

Northern Police District Office (NPDO) acting chief Senior Superintendent Raul Gonzales identified the suspects as Louie Sanchez, 18; Jovy Isidro, 24; Anthony Tilio, 18; Jason Bringuiela, 20, all of Barangay Tinajeros Malabon City.

The suspects were arrested on a complaint of Bayantel Inc., represented by Crisanto Base of VQ Security Services Inc. in Quezon City. Authorities recovered the stolen cable wire worth at least P250,000.

Malabon police chief Superintendent Moises "Kamagong" Guevarra said initial investigation showed the cable thieves were chanced upon by security guards at the Bayantel offices as they were cutting off the cable wires. The theft was subsequently reported to the local police station.

Charges are now being readied against the suspects, Guevarra said. – Non Alquitran, Jerry Botial