An unidentified suspect broke into the treasurer’s office of Dagohoy in what could have been the seventh alleged burglary inside a municipal hall this year.
According to PO3 Leonardo Obenia of the Dagohoy Police Station, the break-in was discovered by Revenue Collection Officer 1 Carmelita Salingay at 7 a.m. on Monday.
No cash or items were reported stolen but Salingay told investigators that the door of the office’s main entrance was forcibly opened.
Salingay reportedly alerted authorities at the Dagohoy Police Station 100 meters away from the municipal hall immediately after discovering the forced entry.
Following their initial probe, Obenia said that the office’s vault was not damaged but smudges can be seen around the container possibly indicating that it was tampered with.
Reports also indicated that the vault was empty during the attempted burglary.
Meanwhile, the office’s computers, laptops and other important items were not stolen by the suspect, police added.
Earlier, Bohol Provincial Police Office director Sr. Supt. Felipe Natividad had noted that the series of town hall burglaries may have been perpetrated by a single syndicate.
After the fourth burglary in February, Natividad pointed out similarities in the timing of the series of break-ins noting that the robberies of the town halls took place on or near the last Monday and Sunday of the month.
During the period, particularly first quarter of the year, local government units are also able to collect large amounts from payments of permits and licenses, added Natividad.
The break-ins in San Miguel and Sevilla, the fifth and sixth in the rash of town hall burglaries in the province, took place on Sunday, March 26 and Monday, March 27, respectively.
Other town halls burglarized this year include those of Panglao, Balilihan, Anda and Loboc.
Around P890,000 had been stolen from the six municipal halls.
Last month, Natividad called out local government units for deficiencies in implementing security measures at government offices amid the spate of town hall burglaries in the province. (Allen Doydora)