Looters of donated relief goods still unidentifed

The Gawad Kalinga Relief Drop-off Center at the Cebu International Convention Center. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Inside a glass-walled room, used clothes are scattered on the floor, and spill out of balibayan boxes that look forced open.

The large room in the groundfloor of the Cebu International Convention Center’s (CICC) is being used as a temporary storage area of Gawad Kalinga for relief goods donated for victims of typhoon Yolanda.

Some of the boxes, ripped open, are piled atop one another, some stacked almost high enough to reach the ceiling.

The identity of the looters remain unknown, and the burglary which was reported to have occurred on June 18, remains unsolved.

When Cebu Daily News visited yesterday morning, only two informal “watchmen” were guarding the facility with one security guard provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7) posted at the back gate to watch over the agency’s own batch of relief goods.

A week after the theft was reported in the media, Capitol officials have yet to fully explain how the burglary took place, exactly what was lost, who took the relief goods and who is responsible for the breach in security.

Yesterday’s visit also raised the question: What’s being done to ensure it won’t happen again.
“Ako nadunggan nga magdungag ug security,” said Allen Ando, the watchman on duty.

“Wa pa man naabot (I heard they’re putting additional security. But they haven’t arrived yet.”)
Gov. Hilario Davide III yesterday said he was still waiting for updates on their investigation from Capitol security officer Loy Madrigal, whom he earlier instructed to beef up security.
“I have not received an official report from Mr. Madrigal yet. But I think he has already contacted

GK to work with them in the investigation,” he said in a phone interview.

GK Cebu head Antonio “Toby” Florendo said the non-profit organization would invite the media to visit the area on Thursday for a briefing.

He said GK, which was the one that reported the theft to the Capitol in early July, would explain its side and the status of the relief goods, mostly used clothes and bottled water stored there.

Florendo said GK, which confirmed the theft in a July 24 press statement, was on its “fourth straight day” conducting a separate investigation of the heist.

“I hope you understand that we want a clear picture before we issue (a statement) again,” he said in a text message.

Capitol security chief Madrigal earlier released video footage of the Closed Circuit Television in the CICC showing a group of men hauling out boxes and placing some in a trolley between 7 p.m. and midnight of July 18.

The images were described as those of suspected looters, which Madrigal said could provide a good “lead” on their identities.

Cebu Daily News, however, learned that this may be false lead after interviews with some of the persons recognized in the video turned out to be GK representatives making authorized withdrawals of stocks.

The mess of clothes seen in the GK’s temporary bodega yesterday showed that the relief goods were ransacked on site, with boxes forced open.

The used clothes were earlier shipped to Cebu in five container vans for typhoon Yolanda victims, and sorted out by GK volunteers who repacked them in balikbayan cartons with seals.

Other items, such as bottled water, imported cans of baked beans, wound dressing and other first aid items were scattered all over the room, which was previously used to host high-end meetings and other functions.

Madrigal, in an interview, said he started showing the CCTV footage to his designated watchers but none of them recognize the persons in the footage.

NO SECURITY GUARDS

Governor Davide said that since the public bidding for the Capitol’s security services contract is still ongoing, the province can’t field private security guards to the CICC. Asked if the Capitol would ask the police for backup personnel, he said he would ask Madrigal’s suggestion on this.

“As of now, we don’t have security guards yet because of the ongoing bidding. Our Civil Security Unit (CSU) members are also scattered around the province,” he said in other properties like the Cebu South Bus Terminal.

On June 13, the Capitol pulled out all guards of Black Pearl Security Agency from the CICC and other provincial properties after Governor Davide decided to cut off the province’s temporary hiring of the agency for serious lapses.

The lack of security guards and “weak security” at the time was exploited by the burglars, said Madrigal.

Six civilian “watchmen” take turns securing the CICC, according to Allen, who spoke with CDN yesterday.

Two are assigned in the morning, one at the gate while another roams around the vicinity.

At nighttime, Madrigal said two watchers guard the gates while two are deployed inside the building to solve the “loopholes in security after the robbery.”

A SWAT team from Mandaue City also makes rounds around CICC, he said.

“The security is much improved compared to before. When we placed some personnel inside the building, we have not encountered reports of theft anymore,” explained Madrigal, who also acts as the province’s anti-illegal fishing task force team leader and head of the Capitol’s anti-squatting team.

In an earlier interview, Madrigal said burglars took advantage of the “weak security” at the time.
Provincial Information Officer (PIO) Ethel Natera confirmed that some Capitol personnel knew about the burglary “as early as June.” But it was later in July, when GK personnel noticed the ransacked storage area and notified the CICC and provincial officials.

A Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) has yet to start the post-qualification of two recommended entries – Tactical Security Agency for Area I and GDS Detective Agency for Area II.

Meanwhile, Governor Davide assured that Gawad Kalinga and DSWD can still use the CICC to store their goods.

“We will allow them to stay there. We also don’t want to kick them out of the place. Where will they store the goods then?” he said.

“We had a tie-up with DSWD and GK during typhoon Yolanda’s relief operations and we will honor that,” he added.

The Capitol also has its own stock relief goods inside the CICC.

Across GK’s storage room is another room with a similar glass door and wall enclosure in the front. The hall contains sacks of rice, tents, and blue and orange relief bags from the Indonesian government.

The governor said the items are not intended for “Yolanda” victims but are goods stockpiled by the province’s social welfare office for emergency response.

Others are reserved for other projects of the province such as the Halad ni Lolo and Lola program for the elderly in the province, said Natera.

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