SM hales bagger to court for stealing chocolate bars worth P60

MANILA, Philippines—For stealing two pieces of chocolate bars worth P60, a grocery bagger was arrested and charged with qualified theft in the Manila Regional Trial Court, with bail set at P10,000.

The charge against Goldee Canja, 23, a native of Antique City and a bagger at SM Supermarket in SM City Manila, was filed Friday on the recommendation of Assistant City Prosecutor Romeo Poso, who conducted an inquest.

There was nothing on the charge sheet that gave the side of Canja but the booking report at the police station said he “opted to remain silent in the absence of a counsel.”

The complaint filed by selling assistant Larry Cacut, representative of SM Supermarket in the case, said Canja “acted with unfaithfulness and grave abuse of confidence.”

Canja was arrested by SM security guard Roniel Jorvina before noon Tuesday past the exit point of the supermarket, according to the complaint. Jorvina said he tailed Canja when he noticed that the bagger had tucked some chocolates in his pants.

When Canja went out of the supermarket, the guard called him and asked him to take out the chocolates from his pants. The guard brought Canja to the security office and alerted the management after the bagger failed to produce a receipt for the chocolates, two 45-gram bars of Nestle Kit Kat White.