Couple loses P1.3-M jewelry to robbers

By FELIPE CELINO ROXAS City — Unidentified men ransacked a house in Brgy. Cogon here late Wednesday evening and carted away P1.3 million worth of assorted jewelry. Police said Armando Baquilar and his wife lost to the robbers gold rings, necklaces and bracelets, among others. The Baquilar couple told the police that they were shocked upon seeing the closet in their room where they placed their jewelry open. Police found no evidences that the suspects may have left in the house. It was learned that the couple’s house helps and nephews have left the house. Investigation on the case continues. The incident raised to 15 the number of robberies in this city in two months. Early this week, two government agencies based here lost millions worth of cash and several items to robbers. The Philippine Coconut Authority on the third floor of the Capiz Government and Business Center was robbed of P36,627.84 worth of cash and seed nuts. Robbers also ransacked the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on McKinley Street here. Police said the suspects carted away P20,000 from the cash vault in the office of DTI-Capiz Director Ermelinda Pollentes. Two drugstores here have also been robbed — the Mercury Drug on corner Arnaldo Boulevard-Burgos Street and the Super-K Drugstore on Roxas Avenue. Recent thievery incidents have also victimized PO1 Jefferson Deguia from Iloilo and Aklanon teacher Verma Tropa, a delegate to the Western Visayas Regional Athletics Association Meet. Supt. Orlando Colisao, acting city police chief, asked local residents to help the police fight robbery and theft here. He said they were doing their best to arrest the culprits and prevent similar crimes.