The front door of the San Rafael Arkanghel parish church in Mabalacat City remains intact after thieves stole audio equipment worth around P100,000. (Photo from the parish church’s Facebook page)
MABALACAT CITY, Pampanga — The morning and afternoon Mass celebrations were almost canceled on Sunday at the San Rafael Arkanghel parish church in Mabiga village in this city after thieves reportedly took away audio equipment worth around P100,000.
The thieves broke into the church on Sept. 10 and stole its sound system, parish staff members announced on its Facebook page.
The police said the missing items include a Yamaha amplifier, a mixer, and a wireless microphone.
“Is life really this hard right now that even the house of God was not spared from being victimized by thieves?” one of the netizens who reacted to the post asked.
Others stated that a difficult life or poverty should not be used as an excuse to steal from a church.
On Sunday morning, a parish church staff member told the Inquirer via a text message that the Mass pushed through after somebody helped them set up a temporary audio system.
“As of now, we have a temporary sound system. Somebody helped us. Our sound engineer estimated the items stolen at more or less P100,000,” the staff said.
A Central Luzon police report said the caretaker discovered the theft before dawn on Saturday while cleaning the church in preparation for the Sunday mass.
The police said there was no forcible entry and the culprits possibly gained entry at the open door leading to the music instrument area of the Church.
Investigation on the matter was underway. INQ
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