Police not discounting ‘inside job’ in Lapu CESU burglary

The thief forcibly opened the drawers inside the office and stole the cash. | Photo courtesy of Grace Carungay

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police are not discounting ‘inside job’ as a possible reason behind the recent burglary that occurred in a city-owned building in Lapu-Lapu City on Saturday, October 3.

Police Major Jose Angelo Acupinpin, chief of Lapu-Lapu City Police Station 3, said they were still gathering more details and information to shed light on the burglary that happened in the office of the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU).

Around P40,000 to P50,000 in cash, most of which were collections from barangay health workers and donations, was stolen from the office which is located on the second floor of the City Health Department building, said Acupinpin.

READ MORE: Thief hits another Lapu-Lapu city hall office, flees with P50K cash

LOOK: Another burglary incident at Lapu-Lapu City Hall compound

Lapu-Lapu’s City Health Department belonged within the city hall compound and is just a stone’s throw away from the executive and legislative buildings.

Acupinpin told reporters in a phone interview on Sunday, October 4, that they were not singling out any motives behind the crime, including the possible inside job.

“It is possible that it could be an inside job since our investigators discovered that a window at the backside of the building had no jalousies, and they told us it was only blocked with a thin piece of wood,” said Acupinpin in Cebuano.

Citing initial findings, he said they believed the suspects got through the window at the back portion of the establishment and climbed their way undetected to the second floor.

“There was no CCTV (closed-circuit television cameras) installed in the office where the burglary occurred. This is also why we’re still gathering more witnesses to help us find out,” said Acupinpin.

Read: Laptops, cellphone, cash stolen from Lapu Social Welfare and Dev’t office

He also said they were still determining whether the burglary was related or had any connections to a previous one that targeted the city government’s City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO).

“We still cannot make any conclusions as of this point as the investigation is still ongoing,” added Acupinpin.

In the meantime, the police official said they had recommended administrators and security personnel of the building to ensure that there would be no entry points for unscrupulous individuals within the property.

“We told them to replace the wooden plank on the window with jalousie or something that cannot be easily removed,” he said. /dbs