BY: VANESSA BUGTONG
A man was caught on CCTV stealing a cellphone inside a sari-sari store in Barangay Bakakeng Central, Baguio City.
Instead of fleeing immediately after the theft, the suspect even waited to have coffee with his companion.
The CCTV footage shows the man loitering near the counter, pretending to browse through products.
Minutes later, he discreetly took a cellphone placed on the counter.
Store owner Euberto Trapila said he had noticed the man loitering around the store several times before, usually whenever there were e-wallet transactions happening.
The stolen cellphone, worth around 7,000 pesos, contained an e-wallet account with approximately 15,000 pesos in it.
Trapila expressed greater regret over losing the e-wallet balance than the device itself.
He has contacted the mobile service provider to secure a replacement SIM card, hoping to regain access to the account.
The incident was reported to the barangay, but the local police have yet to be formally informed.
Station 10 Commander Police Major Wiltz Konrad Sally encouraged residents to report crimes immediately for faster resolution.
He also emphasized the importance of installing CCTV cameras in establishments to aid in crime investigations.
Authorities are currently working to identify the suspect and his companion, while the store owner coordinates efforts to recover the e-wallet balance.
