TWO men were arrested after being caught stealing two kilograms of fish and a bolo at a market in Sitio San Roque, Barangay Hipodromo, Cebu City, around 2 a.m. on Monday, October 7, 2024.
The suspects were identified as John Jomar Cañete, 42, who hails from Bantayan but currently residing in Barangay Tejero, and John Clifford Villamor, 27, also a resident of the said place.
Editha Bargamento Patalinghug, the 48-year-old fish vendor from Sitio Lawis, Barangay Lorega, Cebu City, expressed her disbelief that the suspects, particularly Villamor, whom she recognized as her neighbor, would victimize her.
Patalinghug was able to recover her fish, which weighed more than two kilograms and was valued at around P320.
Villamor admitted to the crime, explaining that he and Cañete had been drinking, and on their way home, both of them felt hungry. After seeing Patalinghug's fish, he took it with the intention of cooking it at home.
Patalinghug, however, cleared Cañete of wrongdoing, saying that he had only accompanied Villamor and was not aware of the crime.
Although Villamor expressed regret, Patalinghug is adamant on filing charges for robbery. (AYB, TPT)