BACOLOD City – A sugar producer’s group is calling on the authorities for a deeper investigation into the P3.2 million worth of allegedly stolen sugar found in Bago City, Negros Occidental, following an alleged hijacking incident in the province’s La Carlota City.
All but 35 of the 1,000 bags of sugar were recovered at an abandoned warehouse in Bago City on Tuesday afternoon.
The drivers of two wing van trucks, each loaded with 500 bags of sugar and traveling from Binalbagan town, were identified as Jujiet Arseño of Pototan, Iloilo and Michael Oryen of Cadiz City.
Arseño and Oryen alleged that five unidentified persons flagged them in La Carlota City on Monday night, and thinking they were co-drivers, they were allowed to board.
However, these unidentified persons allegedly declared a hijack, hogtied and blindfolded the drivers and brought them to various areas in the province.
The drivers were reportedly abandoned in Barangay Pandanon, Murcia town, where they were rescued early Tuesday.
Manuel Lamata, United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines (UNIFED) president, said an immediate meeting with other sugar federation members has already been called.
Lamata believes that more personalities, or even a larger group, were involved in the theft.
Meanwhile, Bago City police chief Lieutenant Colonel Jay Malong said the owner of the stolen sugar bags and the trucking services company have expressed the desire to file qualified theft and carnapping charges against the drivers.
Initial investigations by Bago City police showed the trucks stopped in the town of Hinigaran, likely to get their ferry fare, as the trucks were supposed to cross to Iloilo province to deliver the shipment.
Malong said the third suspect also boarded in Hinigaran town, while the fourth was picked up in the town of Pontevedra, where the trucks stayed for almost seven hours.
The drivers were unaware that the trucks were equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS), which tracked the movement of the vehicles.
Malong added that one of the arrested drivers had already revealed the mastermind behind the theft. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
