ROBBERY. Police inpects the hole in the wall where robbers entered to rob the One Asenso Shopping Mall in Barangay San Pedro, Puerto Princesa City on September 16, carting away PHP2 million in cash. (Photo by Puerto Princesa City Police Office)
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan --- Police authorities here are investigating the robbery inside a mall Sunday night, where three burglars reportedly carted away PHP2 million cash.
SPO2 Eustaquio Ferrer, the officer on case, on Monday said the robbers took the cash from the One Asenso Shopping Mall in Barangay San Pedro, Puerto Princesa City.
One Asenso Shopping Mall co-owner Benzon Sheng, a Chinese businessman, said the robbers managed to enter the building around 9 p.m. of September 16 by breaking through its back wall.
Sheng said he discovered the robbery only on Monday morning when he found out the cash was missing from the vault.
"Pagbukas ko ng store, nakita ko malayo pa lang ang lalagyan ng pera, nagulat ako at tumawag ng guard sabi ko tignan paikot ang tindahan (When I opened the story, I saw the broken vault. I called the security guard to check the premises)," Sheng said.
He said the robbers spared the coins, some documents, and a gun used by their security guard.
When police investigators checked the building, they saw a hole big enough for a grown man to crawl into at the back wall of the building.
There was a closed circuit television (CCTV) camera, but Sheng said it was unable to record due to the power outage.
When the power returned, the CCTV briefly caught the three suspected robbers already fleeing the area.
"Malamang yon (brownout) ang ginawang pagkakataon ng mga suspek dahil alam nilang walang CCTV at malaya silang makakakilos sa loob (They most likely took advantage of the situation that the CCTV will not record that was why they are able to get in and move inside freely)," Ferrer said.
Outside the mall building, the robbers left a pair of gloves, a sack, and a plastic bag.
Police are still looking into all possible angles of the robbery. (PNA)
