IN this Christmas season, be wary of thieves.
Police issued this warning to the public as lawless elements might take advantage as most private and government employees will be receiving their 13th-month salaries.
Insp. Ramil Morpos, chief of the Theft and Robbery Section (TRS) of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), said policemen have been deployed in crowded areas such as waiting sheds and terminals.
Morpos asked the public to report suspicious-looking people by contacting their hotline (032)-344-1200.
In the past two days, Morpos said three suspected pickpockets have been arrested, one of whom was arrested with a firearm.
Dennis Solbrilla, 38, a resident of barangay Katipunan, Cebu City, and Sanny Alcantara, 27, of Talisay City, were detained at the Basak police station facing theft charges.
Police initial investigation revealed that the victim, Emilio Lipao-lipao, 42, a native of Tabuelan town, was on board a PUJ bound for Consolacion town coming from Mandaue past 9 a.m.
Upon reaching to Corner P. Suico Street, barangay Tabok, the victim noticed that his P5,000 cash kept in his left front pocket was missing.
Moments later, three passengers seated in between him asked the driver to pull over and disembarked from the jeepney. Lipao-lipao followed them and sought help from traffic enforcer Nelson Dabajo.
With the help eco-wardens, Domingo Suico and Noel Perez, the suspected thieves, were arrested but their cohort identified as a certain “Jonathan” eluded arrest.
Recovered from Alcantara was the P5,000 cash in P100 denominations.
In an interview, the suspects admitted to Cebu Daily News of stealing the victim’s money.
But Alcantara pointed out that it was Jonathan who took the money from the left front pocket of the victim and passed it to him.
“Inana jud mi ug mangigo amoa nang ipasa-pasa ang kwarta aron pag-libog sa mga biktima,” Alcantara told CDN.
Alcantara added that if they will be victimizing passengers, they always go in threes or more.
In a separate incident, Noel delos Santos, 28, a native of Pagadian City and temporarily residing in Talisay City, was arrested after he was found carrying a .22 revolver with two live bullets.
Santos was arrested following a report about an armed person in M. Logarta Street, barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City, around 9 p.m. last Monday.
Morpos said Santos was identified as a member of Laglag Barya gang.