Thieves take P100,000 in church donations for storm victims

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur—More than P100,000 in cash collected as donations for survivors of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” was taken by burglars, who, on Thursday, broke into the convent of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church here, the parish priest said on Friday.

Fr. Artemio Jusayan said he discovered the burglary when he found shards of broken glass in front of the church’s cashier and finance office as he was walking on the convent’s premises past 6 p.m.

When he checked on the windows, Jusayan said he found that they had been destroyed.

He kept checking and found that the money intended for Yolanda survivors was already missing. The cash was supposed to be donated along with relief goods collected as part of the church’s relief drive for typhoon victims in the Visayas.

Jusayan said when he asked around, a church worker told him that a 14-year-old homeless boy was seen near the church on Thursday.

“It turned out that the boy had been caught several times last year for stealing money collected during Mass,” Jusayan said.

The priest said the boy, who was under the care of another priest who wanted to reform the boy, admitted that a man they look up to as leader of their gang has the money.

The man was also supposed to be the brains behind the burglary.

Senior Insp. Ephraim Detuya, the local police chief, said the robbers gained access to where the money is being kept by destroying windows in the church offices.

Detuya said the man who was tagged as brains behind the burglary but whose identity is being withheld has been often seen with the boy.

“He himself has been a habitual young offender involved in theft,” he said of the suspected brains.

Jusayan said it was apparent that the man knew that using children in his crime would make it difficult for lawmen to run after him.

Street children used as fronts by gangsters do not land in jail and are turned over to the Municipal Social Welfare and Development office (MSWD).

Jusayan said the fact that the money was intended for Yolanda victims was what made him sad.

“There is already moral decadence,” he said.

Jusayan said he also felt bothered by the apparent lack of conscience or guilt by the suspected brains behind the burglary.

“Even a sacred place like the church is no longer spared by robbers in this town,” he said.