By CYRUS M. GARDE
BACOLOD City — Escalante City police and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) were still facing a blank wall on the robbery of P2 million worth of cash and checks from the city hall in July.
Eleven city hall employees had undergone a polygraph (lie-detector) test in connection with the incident. They all passed, said City Treasurer Wilfredo Ruiz.
Those who were subject to the test conducted by National Bureau of Investigation–Bacolod head Joseph Rigodon were:
- disbursing officers Elsie Patpat, Lynette Catayoc, Charity Panonce, Roger De Los Santos, Anmae Mondragon, and Jannete Bascar
- Cashier I Auvy Mae Jarina
- watchmen Raffy Logronio, Edward Anciano and Antonio Baluarte; and
- utility man Noel Dueñas.
Dueñas discovered the destroyed and emptied vault of the City Treasurer’s Office when he reported to clean the city hall at about 3:45 p.m. on July 3.
Scene of the crime operatives of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office have also subject them to fingerprinting, the results of which were yet to be released.
If the 11 employees again pass the fingerprinting, another set of workers will be subject to the same procedures, said Superintendent Leo Batiles, Escalante police chief.
Local police and officials strongly believe the incident was an inside job.
The city hall lacked closed-circuit television cameras, which police said could have helped identify the culprits./PN
