Tunnel found underneath QC pawnshop

MANILA, Philippines - A tunnel was discovered at a pawnshop in Quezon City Monday afternoon, police said yesterday.

Investigators believe the tunnel may have been dug by burglars wanting to break into the shop, said Quezon City Police District director Senior Superintendent Richard Albano.

According to Albano, the shop is located in Barangay Ramon Magsaysay. The street where it stands is just a block away and parallel to EDSA.

Inspector Alan dela Cruz, chief of the theft and robbery investigation section, said maintenance personnel found the tunnel at past noon Monday after having lifted the floor mat of the customer receiving area of the pawnshop.

An acetylene torch and tank were left behind by burglars in the tunnel they made, he said.

Dela Cruz said the tunnel led into the drainage system in front of the pawnshop. The drainage system connected to a much larger sewerage system along EDSA.

Employees Rodelio de Jesus and Melody Sta. Rosa arrived to open the pawnshop at past 7 a.m. that day. They noticed a mound on the floor of the pawnshop and told the management.

Dela Cruz said five men speaking in what was believed to be the Ibanag dialect were seen in the billiards hall at the second floor of the building across the street from the pawnshop five days before the tunnel was discovered.

He said the burglars may have decided to drop the burglary attempt because they had difficulty locating the pawnshop from their tunnel and had little time to conduct the burglary because of the presence of police.

Dela Cruz said policemen have been conducting frequent patrols in the neighborhood and closely watching the area expecting a possible burglary.

An incident happened on March 6 in front of a building along EDSA. Guards were alarmed when a manhole along EDSA suddenly exploded and its cover popped open.

Four men then came out of the manhole and guards chased them. The men escaped.