Students nabbed for robbing school

MANILA, Philippines - Two fourth-year students of the Universidad de Manila (formerly City College of Manila) have been arrested allegedly for robbing the school’s science room and taking off P107,000 worth of cash and personal belongings of two faculty members Saturday night.

Ermita police station chief Superintendent Romulo Sapitula identified the students as Erick James Quiambao, 21; and Danjelo Jose Salva, 19; both enrolled at the College of Mathematics.

Universidad de Manila offers free scholarship to bonafide Manila college students, and is being subsidized by the city government.

The two students allegedly took a digital camera worth P45,000, an IPod worth P7,000, a pocket personal computer worth P5,000 and P50,000 cash from the steel cabinets of teachers Ryan Azur and John Stephen Cruz, Sapitula said.   

The two were arrested by the police and the school’s security personnel inside the campus after they were positively identified by witnesses.

According to Inspector Marlon Ursua, chief of the station’s investigation unit, the two students were seen by a student witness Saturday night scaling the third floor of the school and entered the science room through an open window.

A Civil Security Force member detailed at the Universidad de Manila also attested that while he was inspecting the school building on the same night he saw the suspects roaming at the corridor at the third floor and when questioned reasoned out that they were going to the comfort room.

Aside from robbery charges, the two students are also facing perpetual disqualification from the Universidad de Manila, Sapitula said.