At least seven theft and burglary cases have been reported to the Tagbilaran City Police Station (TCPS) in the past week, while a police official attributed the spate of pickpocketing and household break-ins to the dwindling drug supply in the city and continued release of drug offenders from prison through plea bargaining agreements.
“Usa na sa gi tan-aw nato kay kasagaran na namonitor nato na nag apply og plea bargaining ang uban namalik [drugs], ag uban pud hing shift og kawat ug panguot. Mao na usa gi tan-aw nato sa mga insidente karon na nahitabo,” said Senior Master Sergeant Celso Orapa, chief of operations for the TCPS.
According to Orapa, drug offenders who have recently been released from prison are likely to have a hard time sourcing illegal drugs, particularly shabu, due to low supply.
“Kadtong ubang nanggawas unya naglisod nag kuha og supply, di na maka drugs mao na lain ilang modus operandi,” he said.
TCPS chief Lt. Col. Christopher Navida earlier said that shabu supply in Tagbilaran City plummeted due to their intensified anti-drug campaign.
Theft and burglaries
Lydia Linahan, 49, of Panglao town was the latest victim in the rash of theft and burglaries in the city as she allegedly lost a branded wallet which contained P10,000 and various ATM cards to a pickpocket inside Unitop on Thursday.
In the same department store, a female pickpocket allegedly stole a wallet and P8,000 from the shoulder bag of Melissa Pedera, 30, on Monday.
Monilyn Beroy, 23, sales staff of Save ‘n Earn, on the same day, lost her wallet with P6,000 and bank cards inside at Shoppers Mart to a male pickpocket who appeared to be in his 40s, according to a police report.
On June 24, a burglar broke into a boarding house at the Bohol Institute of Technology compound in Barangay Dao allegedly stealing three cellphones and P16,500 in cash from three female student-tenants, Almira Orbase, 21; Irish Agascon, 18; and Jezalyn Dequit, 19.
Canadian national Daniel Quilere, 77, reported to police that on June 23 a burglar forcibly entered his apartment along Tamblot Street and stole his wallet which contained P17,000.
According to Orapa, they are already tightly monitoring possible theft and burglary suspects and following up on the reported cases.
“Sige ta’g sunod sunod aning mga tawhana. Aron sooner or later makuha g’yud nato ni,” he said. (A. Doydora)