Police nab thieves who robbed patients at Naga COVID-19 isolation facility

Third suspect still at large

Mugshots of the suspects caught for stealing smartphones from patients inside a COVID-19 facility in the City of Naga in Cebu. | photos courtesy of City of Naga Police

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Two thieves who reportedly stole five smartphones from five COVID-19 patients confined at an isolation center in South Poblacion in the City of Naga were arrested on Thursday, May 13, 2021. 

Police Master Sergeant Jake Catane, the investigator in charge of the case, said that the two arrested suspects were Francis Misenabre, 23, and Denver Dagohoy, 39. 

Charges of robbery will be filed against the two.

However, Catane said another suspect, identified as Saddam Villarino, remained at large as of this posting. 

Catane said that they were able to identify the suspects through the victims’ accounts. 

Catane said Misenabre is actually a known notorious robber in the area, who already had previous records at the Naga Police Station.  Other witnesses also told the police on the identities of Misenabre’s cohorts, Dagohoy and Villarino. 

Following the incident, Naga police conducted a hot-pursuit operation, resulting to the arrest of Misenabre and Dagohoy at the latter’s house in Purok Talong 2, Barangay South Poblacion. Police recovered the five smartphones from the suspects’ possession.

Quoting their initial investigation, Catane said that while the five victims were sleeping inside their isolation rooms around 3:00 a.m. on Thursday, the suspects climbed over a concrete fence and forcibly entered the isolation rooms of these patients. 

Among the 10 COVID-19 patients who are currently isolated in the facility, five were robbed. When these suspects were about to escape, the security guard manning the area, at that time, noticed the three. But he failed to arrest them. 

Due to existing health protocols, Catane said that he will find ways on how the victims can file charges against the suspects. He also added that this is the first time that this incident happened in a COVID-19 isolation facility.

Meanwhile, since the suspects arrested entered a facility with COVID-19 patients, Catane said they were placed in a separate detention cell at the police station. 

He added that they are coordinating with the Rural Health Center on the handling of these persons deprived of liberty.

Naga police are still looking for Villarino who is also a resident of Barangay South Poblacion.

/bmjo