POLICE filed theft charges against five people tagged behind the loss of cable wires disabling traffic signal lights in barangay Mabolo, Cebu City.
Three of the alleged culprits are minors, said Chief Insp. David Señor, chief of the Theft and Robbery Section of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).
Señor said a witness identified one of the alleged perpetrators as Ruel Gingoyon.
Police said the five were the ones who allegedly took the cable connected to the traffic signal lights at the corner of S. Osmeña and J. Luna Streets and the corner of S. Osmeña and Gen. Maxilom Ave.
Joy Tumulak, operations chief of the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom), said the cable wires were estimated to be worth P2.7 million.
The witness told police that the five destroyed a traffic signal control box before taking the wires last Aug. 19.
Tumulak said the control box alone is worth P2.4 million. The culprits allegedly carted away 29 meters of cable wires estimated to be worth P265,000.
Police said the stolen wires were sold to a businessman who is also now a subject of an investigation.