Woman accused of shoplifting undergarments, skincare denies allegations

Photo from DYHP | via Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines – A 24-year-old woman got jailed after she was accused of trying to shoplift undergarments and skincare products worth at least P10,000 from a mall at the North Reclamation Area (NRA) here last Saturday, Dec. 28.

But the suspect denied the allegations, adding that she only forgot to pay these.

Authorities from the Mabolo Police Station arrested a service crew working in the same mall, whom they identified only as ‘Lee,’ after she allegedly tried to steal several underwear, clothes, lotion and make-up from a department store last Saturday noon.

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They confiscated three pieces of panties with a total worth of P2,097; five plain blouses worth P2,995; two sunscreen lotions worth P993; anti-acne serum worth P369 and a pair of active leggings worth P800 from the suspect.

Security guards and department store employees told investigators that they caught the woman trying to cart away the items and immediately caught up with her in a nearby restaurant.

Eventually, they turned her over to the Mabolo Police Station where she is currently detained.

No plans to steal

However, in her defense, Lee, a resident of Brgy. Basak Pardo, said she had no plans to steal the items which costs around P10,000 in total.

In an interview with lawyer Ruphil Bañoc for Cebu-based radio station dyHP’s Straight to the Point, Lee claimed she had no intentions to shoplift and that she had merely forgotten to pay the items.

The suspect said she went shopping at the department store Saturday noon.

At that time, there were no shopping baskets around so she decided to use her own paper bag to place the items.

But later on, she got hungry and upon seeing the long queues in the payment counters, decided to go to a nearby fast-food restaurant to eat.

Unpaid items

Lee added that she lost focus and brought the unpaid items with her to the restaurant, where the head guard of the department store found her.

During the interrogation, she also said that the guards apparently refused to accept her debit card as payment for the unpaid items, and told her that she must pay in cash.

“Wala ko’y dalang cash atong panahona,” said Lee.

(I did not have any cash that time.)

On the other hand, Mabolo police are still conducting further investigation into the case while Dave Tumulak, the barangay captain of Basak Pardo, offered to mediate in the case between the accused and the mall management.

Due to the incident, Lee, a single mother, said she was afraid of losing her job, which she said was her only source of income to sustain her and her children’s needs.