by: Vanessa Bugtong
A break-in at a residence in Baguio City was caught on CCTV, showing a man taking money from a wallet stored in a motorcycle’s top box.
In a separate incident, another man stole three bottles of liquor from a convenience store by hiding them in his jacket and pants.
The December 4 footage from Purok 24, San Carlos Heights in Barangay Irisan showed the suspect surveying the area before approaching a parked motorcycle.
He then forced open the locked top box and took the wallet inside.
According to the victim, Hazel Marcial, the wallet was only returned to them the following morning by an acquaintance who found it outside their home.
“In the morning, someone we knew knocked and returned the wallet, along with the license. When I woke up my brother, who owns the motorcycle, was shocked because his wallet was outside when it was supposed to be in the compartment, which was locked,” Marcial narrated.
Marcial added that this was not the first theft incident in their area.
“He didn’t count the cash inside, but it was quite a large amount because it was income from the shop,” she said.
She also recalled that, “This isn’t the first time. Our neighbor also lost a cellphone, but they weren’t able to file a blotter because they were too busy.”
Barangay Irisan officials acknowledged that many residents no longer report such incidents.
Barangay Captain Arthur Carlos urged the community to immediately inform their purok leaders and barangay authorities.
“That should be the counterpart of our residents. If someone gets robbed or there’s a break-in, they need to report it to their purok leader so it can be recorded at the barangay and at Station 9. And if they notice anything suspicious, day or night, they should call right away so the PNP can respond,” Carlos said.
Meanwhile, CCTV footage from December 5 showed another theft at a convenience store.
A man was seen browsing the aisles before discreetly taking two bottles of liquor and hiding them inside his jacket.
Minutes later, he returned for a third bottle and slipped it into his pants before leaving.
Baguio City Police Office spokesperson PMaj. Marcy Grace Marron reminded establishments and residents to remain alert, especially this holiday season.
“We advise those experiencing theft to inform us so we can plan interventions,” Marron said.
Police records show 12 cases of burglary and 36 cases of “salisi” theft in the city this year, lower than the 59 cases recorded last year, but authorities are still urging caution.
