Pag-IBIG Fund head’s maids face theft charge

MANILA, Philippines — Two househelp of Darlene Marie Berberabe, Pag-IBIG Fund president and chief executive officer, face charges of qualified theft for the disappearance of P75,000 from their employer’s Quezon City home over the weekend, police said Tuesday.

Berberabe, 45, reported losing the money which she had left in a brown envelope in an unlocked cabinet in her room.

The two helpers are not under arrest, however. Police said they have denied taking the money.

“They are still with their employer. They are scheduled to undergo a lie detector test, after which their boss will decide whether to file a case of qualified theft or not,” said case investigator Senior Police Officer 3 Genere Sanchez of the Project 4 police station.

The helpers in question are Rosemarie Moncayo, 38, and Miguela Barnesin, 53, both stay-in employees at Berberabe’s house in Blueridge B Subdivision, Quezon City.

The alleged theft was discovered at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. The complainant told investigators that she placed a brown envelop containing P75,000 in cash inside an unlocked cabinet in her room a few days earlier. She noticed that the money was missing on Saturday.

Sanchez said it was not the first time that the complainant lost valuables inside her house.

The two helpers were suspected of involvement since they both had access to the room in the house so they could go about their household chores.

Sanchez said the two helpers, who had been in Berberabe’s employ for more than 15 years, denied taking the money.

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