Lacson’s wife loses diamond earring to thieves but recovers jewelry quickly with police arrest

MANILA, Philippines—Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, so goes a familiar line from a song, and they are a thief’s too as the wife of a former chief of the Philippine National Police has found out.

Alice Lacson, wife of former senator, now rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson, just got out of her vehicle parked along Carmen Planas Street in Manila Monday when robbers snatched one of her diamond-studded gold earrings, Superintendent Jackson Tuliao, Moriones police station commander, told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview Wednesday.

Police have since arrested Benjamin Cabrera, Marvin Antonio and Ronald Pallega along Divisoria and in Isla Puting Bato, aged between 20 and 30 years old, and recovered the jewelry from another accomplice whom the three identified as Sherlon Eguez, 28.

Tuliao said the suspects underwent inquest proceedings Wednesday afternoon pending the filing of criminal charges.

Police had to convince a reluctant Lacson to file charges against the thieves, said Tuliao.

Tuliao said Lacson was accompanied by her security aides when the incident happened at a shopping center in the area.

Lacson wanted, as much as possible, to keep the case under wraps, he said.

Tuliao said the suspects notorious for snatching were positively identified by the bystanders in Recto.

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