By Jennifer P. Rendon
CARLES, Iloilo – The tranquility of Cawayan Elementary School in Barangay Cawayan was shattered when a robbery was discovered early on the morning of March 13.
The school, lacking guards and closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, found itself an easy target for thieves.
The break-in was first noticed by a teacher at around 6:15 a.m., and by 9 a.m., School Principal Angelo Suya had reported the incident to the authorities.
Major Harold Rendora, the chief of Carles police, stated that the perpetrators had forcibly entered and rummaged through three classrooms and the school canteen.
According to the investigation, the suspects gained entry by simply breaking the padlocks on the classroom and canteen doors. They stole three Coby notebook PCs issued by the Department of Education, two 2TB hard drives, and an Epson printer. In addition, the thieves made off with approximately P2,500 worth of assorted groceries and P1,000 in cash from the school canteen.
As of now, Major Rendora mentioned that they are in the process of identifying persons of interest in connection with the crime.
The police are scrutinizing footage from CCTV cameras situated along the roads leading to and from the school, which is situated about 10 kilometers from the town center.
Rendora said this is the first incident of school robbery reported during his tenure in Carles town.