BY: ANGELICA ARQUERO
Thieves are no longer targeting just gadgets and cash, even bananas are not safe.
A woman was caught on CCTV stealing bananas from a store in Barangay Puguis, La Trinidad, Benguet on the evening of April 29.
Around 8:21 PM, the woman, wearing a white hat, entered a store and headed straight for the banana display.
After selecting a bunch of bananas, she hid them on top of a trash can before discreetly placing them into her eco-bag when the storekeeper wasn’t looking.
The thief managed to steal another bunch before leaving the store.
Dani, the storeowner, recalled how the woman initially asked for black slippers before acting suspiciously. “She was pretending to look for slippers, but I noticed she was taking the bananas,” Dani explained.
The store had been robbed several times before, but Dani never expected the thief to steal food. “She could have just asked for it. We could have given it to her,” she added.
Despite the theft, Dani chose not to report the incident to authorities.
Nearby store owners are now taking extra precautions, with some closing early as a safety measure.
Barangay officials have reassured the public that patrolling efforts will continue, encouraging vendors to report thefts to authorities for immediate action.
“We’ve seen an increase in theft incidents in our barangay, but many have not been reported. We encourage everyone to report to the barangay hall so that proper action can be taken,” said Kiefer Jay Shagol, the SK Chairman of Puguis.
This is the third recorded theft in the area this year.
