MANILA, Philippines - Burglars broke into three houses in Quezon City on Sunday and took money and properties worth more than P7 million.
Inspector Alan dela Cruz, head of the theft and robbery investigation section of the Quezon City Police District, said the burglaries happened at the houses of the Rosal family in Barangay Kaunlaran and the Liban and Caluya families in New Intramuros Village, Barangay Old Balara.
Dela Cruz said the same group of suspects could be behind the burglaries at the two houses in New Intramuros Village.
Residents told police they saw a sport utility vehicle (SUV) stop in front of the Caluya house on Muralla street before finding out about the burglary at around 4 p.m. Sunday.
Dela Cruz said a woman was seen getting out of the SUV and knocking at the gate of the Caluya house. He said they will check surveillance footage at the subdivision gate to get the plate number of the SUV and see its occupants.
Lawyer Constante Caluya Jr. and his family left their home locked but unattended for Sunday worship. When they returned in the afternoon, they found the kitchen door was forced open.
Caluya told police around P6 million worth of jewelry were taken from the master bedroom vault apart from various land titles.
As for the other house, Dr. Janette Liban told police she lost during the burglary at her home P1 million worth of jewelry, P150,000 in cash, a Dell laptop, assorted wrist watches amounting to around P150,000.
Liban and her family left their home at around 10 a.m. Sunday and returned at around 6 p.m. only to find one of the doors had been forced open. They then found the master bedroom on the second floor ransacked.
The Rosal family told police they lost 11,500 Singaporean dollars, jewelry amounting to 4,500 Singaporean dollars, and two laptops.
Dela Cruz said the Rosal family were reportedly in Singapore for the past days and relatives next door, the Martinez family, were looking after their home.
The Martinezes told police they left home to attend mass just before 7 a.m. Sunday. When they returned at past 8 a.m., they discovered that the front door of the Rosal house had been forced open.