Cops eye inside job in treasurer's office burglary

CEBU, Philippines - The police are looking into the possibility of an inside job in the burglary of the Treasurer’s Office of Asturias Municipal Hall on Sunday wherein P202,000 cash was lost.

PO2 Douglas Maravillas, desk officer of Asturias Police Station said that during investigation, they found no sign that the office was forcibly opened as the perpetrator was believed to have entered the office through the French window at the back portion of the municipal hall.

The suspect carted away P202,000 cash inside the treasurer’s office by destroying the steel cash vault where the money was kept.

Maravillas said that while they believe the culprit entered the office through the window at the back of the municipal hall, it could be also possible that somebody provided a the perpetrator a key because they found the window opened without sign of force entry.

Marina Sultan, collection clerk and disbursement officer of the said office assured that she locked the window and the door of the office before she left. The incident was reported by Beinvenido Perales Jr. to the police station about 10:00 in the morning after Sultan discovered that the cash was lost while the vault was broken and already detached from the built-in steel cabinet.

“Gidukdok ang base sa vault aron maligwat ang pultahan kay dili man sila kaabli sa automatic lock,” Maravillas told The FREEMAN.

Personnel of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) who assisted the policemen in the investigation already took the fingerprints found in the window.

Maravillas added the only driver of the municipal ambulance, who also served as guard of the municipal office, alleged he did not notice anything at the time the burglary happened.   (FREEMAN NEWS)