Thieves plague Camp Aguinaldo

MANILA, Philippines - Even the country’s main military headquarters is not safe from thieves.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. said a total of 15 incidents of theft have been recorded in the camp since January. Among the items stolen by the burglars were laptops, cash, wallets, camera, and a desktop computer.

Among the latest items stolen is a Mazda 323 owned by a colonel assigned to the AFP Dental Service. The incident happened last Saturday and has been reported to the Quezon City Police District.

The green Mazda car owned by Col. Nelson Chedrome was last seen on Capinpin Avenue. Initial police reports said the car was driven out of Camp Aguinaldo through Gate 2, which faces EDSA.

Military insiders said they are alarmed by the successive thefts in the camp, which was supposed to implement stringent security measures. Burgos, however, said that measures are being undertaken to address the problem, noting that in at least four cases, the burglars were caught.

 “The suspects are outsiders. Some of them are children and had been turned over to the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development),” he said in a phone interview.

Burgos said some burglars climbed over the fences of the victims’ houses. He said the victims of burglary were military officers and enlisted personnel.

As for the car theft that happened over the weekend, Burgos said it was only an “isolated incident.”

Despite the stricter security measures, Burgos reminded residents in Camp Aguinaldo to remain vigilant. “While we rely on the security measures of the camp commander, we have to maintain our security contingencies in our own homes. We should not be too complacent,” he said.