Maid fakes armed heist, steals P20-M cash, jewelry

MANILA, Philippines -  A maid and two of her accomplices were arrested yesterday morning after she confessed to staging an armed robbery to cover up her theft of P20 million in cash and jewelry from her employer’s house in Barangay Bahay Toro, Quezon City.

Under questioning on Thursday night, Jennifer Palomo, 33, said she masterminded the fake robbery earlier this week in the house of Pilar Padilla Brooks, 92, an aunt of actor Robin Padilla.

Noel Avila, 34, Palomo’s partner and a former driver of Brooks, and Judy Sedrome, 34, allegedly stole a vault from Brook’s home in May, around a month after the victim left for a vacation in the United States on April 15. Brooks returned on June 28. 

Palomo reportedly pawned jewelry stolen from the vault, withdrew around P20 million from Brooks’ bank account and forged the deeds of transfer for several properties.

Senior Inspector Allan dela Cruz, head of the Quezon City Police District theft and robbery division, said Palomo confessed after police officers questioned the inconsistencies in her account and presented the evidence they recovered.

Closed-circuit television footage from Brooks’ neighbors showed that a man entered the house, contrary to the initial stories of housemaids Julie Ann Acienda and Lony Espenilla that two armed men forced their way into Brooks’ house.

The two later admitted that Palomo coerced them into lying for fear of losing their jobs.

Palomo admitted that she hired Paul Michael Restoso, 36, a brother-in-law of Espenilla, for P20,000 to fake the robbery and ransack the house alone. 

Jean Anthony Cabrera was also arrested after the stolen vault was recovered in his house in Barangay Gaya-gaya, Bulacan during a follow-up operation after Palomo named him.

Police officers recovered the vault, several pieces of jewelry, withdrawal slips and pawn receipts for jewelry under Palomo’s name.