Crowbar, bolt cutters ‘unpresented evidence’ of police in Sinulog burglary

THERE were several pieces of “unpresented evidence” in the theft of P1.6-million in funds of the Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI).

An iron crowbar, the vault cover with combination lock and two bolt cutters were not yet shown to prosecutors, said Insp. Rolando Pinili, Cebu City Police Office’s Theft and Robbery Section chief, on Wednesday.

Pinili said these items were submitted to the Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) personnel and were subject for fingerprint examination.

Pinili said they were still waiting for the results. No clear timeframe was given when the test results, including that of lie-detector tests administered by the National Bureau of Investigation, would be released.

Pinili said the iron crowbar was found inside the Sinulog courtesy booth of the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) near the locker of security guard Joselyndo Jabagat.

Jabagat was cleared of liability when the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office dropped charges of qualified theft filed against him by the police.

Jabagat was arrested by the police last Jan. 17 and was detained for 13 days.

Cebu City Prosecutor Nicolas Sellon said Jabagat may have been negligent in his duties but “suspicions and insinuations” against him were not evidence of theft.

Sellon also questioned loopholes in the police investigation, such as the lack of photos of the vault where the cash was kept to prove that a burglary actually took place. This exhibit would show whether the vault was forced open or the thief knew the combination of the safe.

Cebu City Police Chief Melvin Buenafe said on Monday that the police could refile the case once they gather more proof.

Pinili said the vault cover with combination was found on the floor near the cabinet together with the two bolt cutters on Jan. 16 when office staffers discovered the theft.

He said the combination lock was not destroyed.

“Wala natandug (the combination lock),” Pinili told Cebu Daily News.

Pinili said it was possible that the vault cover of the combination lock was forced open using a “hard object.”

Ricky Ballesteros, executive committee director of the SFI, said he would review the police report and the prosecutor’s resolution. /RHEA RUTH V. ROSELL