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Unsolved robberies plague Ifugao

LAGAWE, Ifugao (Jan. 13) — Consecutive robberies in government offices here continue while police officers remain clueless to the identity of the perpetrators.

The break-in at the Ifugao Provincial Treasurer’s Office on January 8 was the latest of four break-ins in government offices here since last year.

According to police investigations, on the night of January 8, unidentified thieves looted P531,948 cash, 16 checks amounting to P319,858, ATM card, E-card and one cellular phone.

SP04 Martin Tayaban revealed that the suspects entered the room using the window on the eastern side of the office without force, as the windows were open. He also observed that the door of the cashier’s office was not forcibly opened and the main door undisturbed nor opened.

The robbers forcibly opened table drawers, four steel vaults and five steel cabinets using various instruments. They left a flashlight, yellow gloves, and some checks, and mockingly left four empty soft drinks bottles.

Two personnel from the Ifugao Police Scene of Crime Operation team obtained fingerprints from the windows, chairs, vaults and soft drink bottles, currently verified.

Police investigators further said that investigation results indicate that the robbery was well planned and that the robbers are very familiar with the place.

The security guard on duty at the Capitol during the said night claimed he did not notice any untoward incident during his duty.

Police are still conducting follow-up investigations as a usual routine as residents hoped for the immediate resolution of the said incident.

Last year, three break-ins in government offices were recorded including when the Provincial Office of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) was ransacked on March 16, 2005 by still unknown perpetrators carting away more than P100,000 in cash deposited in safety vaults.

Other break-ins recorded were that of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Ifugao District Office and the Provincial Office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on December 28 and 29. Still unidentified perpetrators took away P400,000 from the DPWH office while three computers were stolen from the DTI office.

Police reports also showed six consecutive highway hold-ups were recorded, including payroll robberies of the municipalities of Banaue, Mayoyao and Aguinaldo, which were intercepted along the national highway between the municipalities of Lamut and Banaue. Cases of hold-ups of bus passengers and vehicles of businessmen plying the same route were recorded. # Dan B. Codamon/PIA-Ifugao

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