Minors tagged in failed burglary of lawyer's office

MANILA, Philippines - Scavengers and runaway kids, believed to be minors, were tagged responsible for breaking into a lawyer’s office early yesterday morning in Caloocan.

Police identified the complainant as lawyer Gaudencio Gena with offices at Suite 108, Aurelio Building, 9th Avenue on Rizal Avenue Extension (RAE), Caloocan City.

SPO3 Antonio Paras, officer-on-case, said initial information “tended to show” the suspects were trash scavengers (namumulot ng basura) and or stowaway children with no permanent shelter or address (istokwa).

Gena told investigators the suspects forced open the steel shutters and the wooden door behind it leading to his office.

The victim said the table drawers were forced open and ransacked but failed to get anything of value.

He said $2,000 in cash and checks amounting to P100,000 kept in one of the drawers were untouched.

The suspects remain at large as of presstime.

Police said they are conducting further investigation and a follow-up operation is underway for the subsequent arrest of the suspects. – Jerry Botial