ILOILO City – Police are hunting down a suspect who broke into a medical supply distributor’s office in La Paz district before dawn on January 11, carting off cash, a laptop, and several checks.
The robbery was believed to have been carried out around 2 a.m. at B-Shine Pharma, located at the corner of Burgos and Magdalo streets, and was only discovered at about 8 a.m. when the company’s driver, identified as “Alo,” arrived for work and noticed that a window-type air-conditioning unit at the back of the building had been forcibly removed.
Inside, the office was found ransacked. A female employee reported that her laptop was missing, while petty cash amounting to around P22,000 and several checks of still undetermined value were also taken. The checks reportedly belonged to the office manager.
CCTV footage has given investigators a crucial lead. Video shows a man entering the premises half-naked, wearing only shorts and a cap, with what appeared to be a concealed object tucked into his shorts. In another camera angle, the same individual was seen outside the building already wearing a shirt, suggesting he briefly changed clothes during the crime.
“The damage is at the back. It appears the burglar may have entered through the broken grills of the air-conditioning unit. This is the first time such an incident has occurred in this building,” Alo said.
Two tools — a tire wrench and a pair of pliers — were recovered at the scene and are believed to have been used in the break-in.
The Iloilo City Police Station 2 has launched a full investigation, with officers working to identify the suspect through enhanced CCTV footage.
“As to the identity of the suspect, we are in the process of enhancing the facial footage captured on CCTV. We are collaborating with the RACU [Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit] and SOCO [Scene of the Crime Operatives] to resolve this matter quickly,” said Lt. Col. Lorenz Losaria, officer in charge of Police Station 2.
Losaria, who also serves as deputy city director for operations of the Iloilo City Police Office, was temporarily designated station commander following the relief of Capt. Jeffrey Delgado. He confirmed that no medical supplies were stolen during the robbery.
Police have appealed to the public to report any information or sightings that could help identify or locate the suspect, as authorities continue to intensify the investigation./PN
