4 Habitat volunteers lose P.1 M to burglar

MANILA, Philippines - Four Japanese students, volunteers of Habitat for Humanity, told police they lost more than P100,000 in cash and valuables to a burglar who entered their hotel room in Quezon City yesterday morning.

Police Officer 3 Jaime de Jesus said surveillance camera footage showed an unidentified man scaling the North Metro Apartelle Hotel’s fire escape. When he reached the room’s balcony, he was able to enter the room as the students slept at past 4 a.m. because the sliding glass door was unlocked.

The room was occupied by Sasayama Taishi, Tetsuya Masaya, Hashimoto Masaya and Nogami Timoyuki, all 19 years old.

The students were from Kyoto and had been here for two weeks as volunteers of Habitat for Humanity. 

Among the items they reported missing were a laptop, a cell phone and P130,000 in pesos and yen.