Cops probing thefts at Office of the Ombudsman

MANILA, Philippines - Police officers are investigating reported thefts at a storage room of the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City, from which office supplies were stolen early this week.

Police said the printer cartridges worth P18,000 were discovered missing from a second floor stockroom at the general services office on Tuesday morning.

Police Officer 2 Gilmer Marinas said administrative officer Willy Mesa, 31, also claimed five printer cartridges worth P30,000 were discovered missing last May 6.

“He learned that there were previous thefts, so he would regularly conduct inventories of the office supplies there,” Marinas said.

A surveillance camera was also set up in the stockroom. Marinas said that at past 7 a.m. on May 11, a man was caught on video climbing down from the storage room’s ceiling. The custodian discovered that three printer cartridges were missing on May 14.

Police said two janitors, who were on duty over the weekend, are considered suspects since they were the only ones who had access to the  room. Marinas noted that one of the janitors reportedly borrowed the stockroom’s keys from a security guard on May 11.