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Sunday, March 12, 2006
Clemency offered to catch 'brain' behind water meter thefts
By Victor L. Camion
THE Dumaguete City Water District (DCWD) offered to withdraw charges it filed against three arrested suspects if they squealed the "brain" behind the series of water meter thefts in the city.
DCWD general manager Esperato Dicen believed a syndicate was behind the mass destruction and theft of water meter reader units.
"It is unbelievable that they could destroy almost 50 water meters at once," said Dicen.
Close to 50 DCWD concessionaires in Barangays Batinguel, Junob, Cadawinonan, Banilad, Candau-ay, Motong, Mangnao, and Bagacay, were victimized by the thieves during the first attack last February.
The meter reader's hands were destroyed simultaneously.
Dicen believed that stealing the bronze and copper components of the units was not the sole motive for destroying them.
Suspects, Gamby Vergara, Michael Albina, and Gerald Gomez all of Cadawinon this city had destroyed and stolen water meters three times before they were eventually arrested and charged before the city prosecutors office.
Their arrest came after two minors named them as the persons who offered them commission to sell stolen brass to a junkshop.
In a joint affidavit, the two witnesses said they were walking along Ciriaco Espina Street in Barangay Taclobo past noon of February 22 when Vergara, Gomez, and Albina approached and asked them where they could sell brass.
They said Vergara offered them a P15 commission each to sell it to a junkhouse.
But at Libra junkhouse, the buyer became suspicious on discovering that the items were water meter covers.
"Where did you get this?" junkshop Aurelio Maru later asked the two minors.
After learning the circumstance, Maru called up the police and the DCWD office.
"We are also happy with the immediate response of the police and the help of the junkshop owner," said Dicen.
He added that they have appealed to all junkshop owners to immediately inform them if somebody would sell to them water meters.
Dicen said the destruction and theft of water meter reader units abruptly stopped following the arrest of the three suspects.
But he believed the culprits were only lying low.
He, however, appealed to concessionaires to continue to be on alert.
(March 12, 2006 issue)
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