By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD CITY – Police have determined that the dump truck used in a recent cable wire theft in Barangay Mansilingan is owned by the husband of a barangay official in Bago City, Negros Occidental. The incident occurred over the weekend.
Police Captain Andy Ofalia, head of Police Station 7, stated that their investigation concluded the dump truck owner was not involved in the robbery.
Ofalia explained that the owner uses the truck for quarry operations. However, on the day of the incident, the owner’s cousin had requested to borrow the vehicle for a single day, promising P5,000 for its use in an unspecified transaction.
Trusting his cousin, the owner consented to the loan without inquiring about the details of the intended use.
The vehicle owner’s cousin and nephew were among five individuals arrested for allegedly stealing P750,000 worth of underground cable wires in Barangay Mansilingan last Saturday.
The suspects, pretending to be linemen performing maintenance, were spotted by patrolling officers around 4 a.m. They had reportedly been staying at a lodging house in Barangay Taculing for five days prior to the robbery.
The owner became aware of the incident when he could not contact his cousin, needing the truck for quarry work that day.
Robbery charges were filed against the five apprehended suspects and three unidentified accomplices still at large. Among the arrested were residents of Tandang Sora, Quezon City, and Romblon.
Ofalia mentioned that the vehicle owner must now demonstrate in court their lack of awareness of the cousin’s illegal activities for the truck to be released.
“They claimed in good faith that they had no involvement in their relative’s transaction,” Ofalia noted, referencing the vehicle owner’s statement.
Investigations continue into how the vehicle owner’s relatives connected with the other suspects and whether this group has been involved in similar offenses in the area. The suspects have so far declined to provide further details.
