ADB employee loses laptop to robbers

An Asian Development Bank employee recently lost her laptop to robbers who smashed the rear window of her sports utility vehicle that was parked in a parking lot adjacent to the ADB building.

However, ADB procurement officer Cecille Tuason and her husband, Ferdie, said the firm in charge of the parking lot, Secure Parking, never offered her any assistance.

Tuason said a traffic team from Ortigas Center and the security team of the nearby Podium mall assisted them instead, and were “very professional in handling the situation” last Sept. 12.

Podium guards reported the break-in involving the Tuasons’ Ford Everest (ZRO-123) to the Mandaluyong police, where the Tuasons acquired a certified police report.

When the Tuasons talked to the carpark cashier, they were told it was useless “because nothing will come out of the discussion anyway.”

The couple also complained that while they managed to talk to a certain Edwin Salonga three days after the break-in, national operations manager Dick Wake of Secure Parking – which turned out to be an Australian-owned carpark operator – was “unapologetic and arrogant.”

“Wake was firm that Secure is not at all responsible (for the theft),” said Tuason, who wanted to have the firm’s liability insurance coverage answer for the theft. But Wake invoked their “global policy” in denying the Tuasons’ request.

Negotiations for insurance coverage went nowhere, as neither Wake nor Edwin Salonga, who holds office in Makati, would take action, Tuason said.– Delon Porcalla