SFI Urges Cops to Investigate Anew the P1.7M Robbery Case

The Sinulog Foundation Inc. is urging the Cebu City police authorities to continue looking for fresh lead to solve the two-year robbery case involving the P1.7 million Sinulog funds.

Sinulog Inc. Chairman Ricky Ballesteros on Saturday said the case is not yet close, and they would gladly accept new lead that connects the 2012 incident when the said amount was lost inside the Sinulog office at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).

“That is what we are expecting from the Cebu City police authorities,” Ballesteros said.

Ballesteros recalled that he was still around until 1:00 o’clock Monday morning, few hours after the Sinulog activities’ adjourment and before the incident happened.

“I presumed the incident happened when I was already out, and sometimes I’m also thankful that I left the office at that time, a sort of blessing in disguise, because I could just imagine if I was there to face the theft or thieves, I could not help but to fight back against them for the sake of not only to defense myself, but for the big amount at stake,” he said.

He said the P1.7 million cash was placed inside a cabinet at the Sinulog office located under the CCSC grandstand, because it was delivered there by its donor at 5:00 o’clock in the afternoon Friday, (two days before the Sinulog day) and banks were already closed at that time.

“Then Monday morning when media people and some policemen were at the Sinulog office to investigate the incident, “I was shocked after knowing that the money was already lost,” Ballesteros said.

Ballesteros added that when he arrived at the Sinulog office on that day, some media men asked him about the robbery.

“I went to the Sinulog office without knowing that my cellular phone was lefty at my car, so that I failed to read the messages regarding the incident,” he added.

It was found out that the cabinet lock was forced to open by the unidentified theft, “who apparently used a hard object to destroy the cabinet’s lock,” he said.

According to Ballesteros, he investigated a security guard, a certain Jabagat,( unfortunately he forgot its first name) who was assigned to watch the Sinulog office, when the incident happened.

Ballesteros was suspecious about the guard, “but unluckily there was no pressure made by the police prodding that guard to reveal everything he knew surrounding the incident.

Even the court who investigated the robbery case filed by the police against the guard, immediately dismissed the case due to lack of witnesses and enough pieces of evidence.

“But i think if there are witnesses and evidences to surmount related to the incident, there is a big possibility to open the case,” Ballesteros said.

The guard which was already dismissed was not even monitored by the police or any aggrieved party until now, he said.

“So the case is considered dead but it can be revived once there are witnesses to come out and tell the truth about the incident,” he added.

“The Sinulog people have considered the big amount it lost, a very unfortunate , so they are praying it never will happen again”, Ballesteros said.