A seaman lost over P500,000 in various currencies in a burglary believed to have been carried out by young Badjao suspects at the victim’s house in Maribojoc on Sunday afternoon, police said.
According to PO2 Felix Quibol, Nelson Ebarita, 53, left home at past 9 a.m. on the same day of the incident while the burglars broke into the house stealing the cash before the victim returned.
Ebarita first went back to his house at around 2:45 p.m. to drink water but did not notice any sign of forced entry and again left to hear Mass with his wife, Quibol said.
However, when he returned at 4 p.m., Ebarita reportedly saw that a sliding-door and the kitchen door were forcibly opened.
He then checked his bedroom and found out that it was ransacked and a brown envelope inside his cabinet containing cash with approximate amounts of $10,000 and 4,000 yen was already missing.
According to Quibol, some of the victim’s neighbors told police that they saw around seven young Badjaos loitering in the neighborhood and were knocking on house’s doors at around 7 a.m.
“Dihay isa ka balay nga ila konong gituktok, pero sa dihang dihay tao nga ni-abli nilakaw ra pod sila,” Quibol said.
However, none of the neighbors were able to pinpoint if it was indeed the group of Badjaos that broke into the victim’s house and stole the cash.
Police are still continuing their investigation on the case while Quibol urged the public to immediately report suspicious personalities and activities in their respective communities. (Allen Dodyora)