Two Marikina employees caught pilfering fuel

Two Marikina City employees may lose their jobs after they were caught allegedly stealing P3,000 worth of diesel fuel from a city government service truck.

Marikina Parks and Development Office employees Antonio Santos, 39, and Salvador Alpay, 40, gave themselves up peacefully to their fellow Marikina City Hall employees.

Marikina City police chief Superintendent Sotero Ramos Jr. ordered that Santos and Alpay be charged with qualified theft and attempted corruption of a public officer before the city prosecutor’s office.

"It’s up to their superiors whether to dismiss them from their jobs or not," Ramos said.

Police investigator PO3 Arnel Cruz said the two suspects were stealing diesel fuel from their office service truck, which was parked along Aquamarine street in SSS Village when they were caught by Office of Public Safety and Security personnel last Wednesday.

Cruz said the OPSS conducted a week-long surveillance on Santos and Alpay following reports that they were involved in fuel theft.

Authorities recovered three plastic containers of diesel fuel worth more than P3,000 from the two.

Cruz said Santos and Alpay allegedly attempted to bribe the OPSS personnel, who turned them over to the local police.

At the police station, the two suspects vehemently denied the charges. Cruz said Santos and Alpay claimed they were eating, with the truck parked nearby, when they saw people taking a video of the truck and found out that they were about to be arrested.

The two suspects, currently held at the detention center of the Marikina City police, also denied allegations that they attempted to bribe their way out. — Non Alquitran