A full-blown investigation into the theft of relief goods from the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) should be a matter of high priority for the Capitol.
Unless the culprits are identified and vigorous steps taken by the Cebu provincial government to find out how this breach of security happened, the consequence would be more grave than the loss of several boxes of used clothes and bottled water.
Damage has been done in the area of trust.
Many donors, foreigners and our own countrymen, were already wary if not adamantly against coursing their assistance through government conduits after typhoon Yolanda in November 2013.
If not for goodwill and the solid reputation here and abroad of private groups like Gawad Kalinga, and Cebu’s central location and intact facilities in a disaster zone, the waves of humanitarian aid and volunteers would not have pooled in Cebu, the hub of logistical support for storm-hit communities.
The CICC was the biggest repacking center of relief goods for post-Yolanda Visayas, a testament of good coordination between the private sector and government at a time of great need.
Now this.
Why did it take a month to discover that thieves had sneaked into the province-owned CICC on June 18 and hauled off a still undetermined volume of donated goods?
The burglary, which came to light only last week, was reported by Gawad Kalinga representatives, who are still assessing the extent of loss from their designated storage area.
Imagine the shock of GK Cebu leaders who entrusted their donations for safekeeping in the CICC and the outrage of volunteers and benefactors who entrusted their donations to the non-profit group.
A CICC security camera captured blurred images of a group of men carrying boxes and sacks, using a trolley to cart out the loot.
Obviously, no one was watching the video feed — or had bothered to check earlier.
When Gov. Hilario Davide III said in his state of the province address in July that he would “not spend one more peso” for the CICC, as an overpriced centerpiece project of his predecessor Gwen Garcia, we didn’t expect this to mean complete abandonment of the premises.
At night, the CICC is a dark, empty, unlighted building, a picture of neglect.
There were no security guards or members of the Capitol Security Unit posted there when the burglary of GK’s bodega occurred between 7 p.m. and midnight of June 18.
Security wasn’t just weak. There was a vacuum.
According to Capitol security chief, Loy Madrigal, the perpetrators had picked the perfect time to strike.
The governor on June 12 had just decided to terminate the services of the controversial Black Pearl Security Agency, after a brief but messy engagement. All security guards were pulled out.
The replacements were a handful of civilian “watchers”, both untrained and unarmed.
Someone has to light a fire under Capitol officials to finally decide this housekeeping matter of security services. The previous contract of Tactical Security Agency had expired in May yet.
What’s taking so long with the bidding?
If Governor Davide doesn’t care to keep the CICC, he should at least care about safeguarding what is still province-owned property and donations entrusted in an P800-million edifice that is now only used as a bodega.
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