3 Zambo evacuees nabbed for looting school

ZAMBOANGA City, Philippines - Three persons displaced by the September 2013 siege in the city were arrested for burglarizing a high school, where they are temporarily staying as evacuees.

Superintendent Diomarie Albarico, City Police Station 11 commander, said the suspects arrested on Monday were identified as Michael Lukman, 37, of Barangay Sta. Catalina; Almutiah Angkaya Maharan, 30, married; and Myrna Hepe Omar, 24, single, both of Barangay Mariki, among the areas affected by the three-week siege by Moro National Liberation Front fighters loyal to Nur Misuari last September.

Albarico said the suspects, who were among the evacuees taking shelter at the Zamboanga High School West along R.T Lim Boulevard, broke into the computer lab by cutting the windows' iron grills.

The three suspects took from the laboratory nine computers units, more than a dozen of web cams, printers, LCD monitors and external hard drives.

Albarico said that based on the investigations, the three suspects have been gradually slipping out the items from the school since evacuees started occupying the school in October last year.

He said the burglary was discovered when the school resumed classes on Monday.

The school management immediately reported the discovery to the police.

Albarico said that the suspects, who were arrested in follow-up operations, admitted to the crime and told the police where they sold the computer laboratory equipment.