AUTHORITIES are hunting down a male suspect after burgling and carting away more than P1 million worth of expensive jewelries owned by a local lawmaker inside a gated subdivision in Cagayan de Oro City, over the weekend.
City Councilor Reuben Daba said the suspect entered their house at Frontiera Subdivision, Gran Europa in Lumbia, on Sunday, April 29, while they were at the church.
Daba said they discovered that the jewelry box containing the items was on the bed and already open. Hiss laptop was also missing.
The councilor said there were no signs of forced entry since apart from the jewelry box, all other things were in order.
"Mura lang og tag-iya ang suspek kay gikuha ang mga alahas unya in order tanan gamit. Wala pud sign nga gipugos pag-abri ang balay (The suspect seems like the owner of the house because he just get the jewelries and left. Other things are in order and there is no forcible entry),"Daba said.
Daba said only their stay-out helper knew where to get the house key which is placed just within the vicinity of their residence.
However, Daba added that their female helper who has worked for them for two years appeared and said she didn't come for work when the incident happened.
"Kani akong wife naay tagoanan sa yabi nga didto kuhaon sa helper unya ang yabi nakita namo tapad sa jewelry box (My wife has a storage for the key which is being kept by the helper. We saw they key beside the jewelry box),"Daba said.
Daba also said an eyewitness saw the suspect while investigators are checking the footage of the close circuit television (CCTV) camera installed at the entrance of the subdivision.
The city councilor also learned from the neighborhood that there is a getaway passage inside the subdivision where bad elements can pass through without being noticed by the security officers.
Chief Inspector Rey Gaudencio Taboclaon, Police Station 8 chief, said a follow-up operation was launched to pursue the suspect.
Taboclaon said they are also probing if the incident was an “inside job.”
"Naa na tay suspect based sad sa testimony sa eyewitness. Dili pa klaro kung inside job siya and naa pud tay (We have a suspect based from the testimony of the eyewitness. It is not yet clear if it’s an inside job but we already have) persons of interest," Taboclaon said.