Suspect in stealing Cebu City gov’t Christmas decor nabbed 

One of the three suspects in stealing a Christmas decoration, particularly a tarpaulin with Christmas greetings from Mayor Michael Rama, last November 16 in Barangay San Antonio in Cebu City, was arrested on Sunday afternoon, November 27. | contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — One of the three suspects in stealing a Christmas decoration, particularly a tarpaulin with Christmas greetings from Cebu City. Mayor Michael Rama, last November 16, 2022, in Barangay San Antonio, Cebu City was arrested on Sunday afternoon, November 27. 

Police Major Efren Diaz, chief of the Parian Police Station, refused to name the suspect pending their follow up operation against his two other alleged cohorts. 

The 33-year-old suspect was tagged as responsible in the stealing of the tarpaulin worth around P3,000 to P4,000 that was placed near the Abellana National School. 

Police Major Efren Diaz, chief of the Parian Police Station, said that the suspect deals the tarpaulins to the vendors at the Carbon Public Market for P200 to P250. 

“Tulo sila kabuok. Katong duha identified na namo…ila ning ibaligya sa Carbon, ibaligya niya 250 or 200 dor cover sa mga prutas nga ibaligya sa Carbon,” Diaz said. 

Diaz added that the arrested suspect is aware that the tarpaulin was owned by the city government but said he was only  forced to do this out of poverty. The suspect is a street dweller and a native of Negros Oriental. 

However, the suspect, in an interview, claimed that he did not help in stealing the tarpaulin, saying he just trades this. 

“Naapil rako ky ako may gabaligya sa kinawat. Ana nalang, na apil nalang ko pero wa ko nagkuha,” he said. 

But Police Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog, director of the Cebu City Police Office, said that the suspect was already  arrested two months ago for robbery and for stealing of cable wires in the city. 

/bmjo

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