ILOILO CITY—Corazon Palmares was praying inside St. William’s Parish in Passi City, Iloilo on Wednesday night when a man took her wallet from her bag.
Palmares’ companions saw the crime, arrested Josie Padre-e of Barangay (village) Gines Viejo and turned him over to the police.
On Thursday, Palmares visited the Passi City Police Station to give Padre-e snacks and P1,000 in cash while at the same time, informing the police of her plan to pursue the complaint of theft against the suspect, said Supt. Adrian Acollador, acting Passi police chief.
Acollador said Palmares, who is in her 60s, felt pity on the 30-year-old suspect who tried to steal her wallet containing P1,700, however, he had to be taught a lesson.
Palmares placed her bag on the parishes’ seat while she knelt to pray around 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
Her companions, her colleagues from a church organization, were the ones who saw Padre-e steal her wallet and held the suspect while they called the police.
Acollador said they recovered several automated teller machine (ATM) cards from Padre-e’s backpack which made them suspect that he had long been victimizing churchgoers.
Padre-e was detained at the Passi police station pending filing of charges. RAM
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