Boracay money changer shop ‘loses’ P2.7 M in alleged theft

By: Jennifer P. Rendon

AN ESTIMATED P2.7 million in cash was allegedly stolen by a thief in Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan.

Nico Jun Caagbay, 26, who hails from San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, reported the incident to the police at around 1 p.m. of Aug. 7, 2019, more or less 30 minutes after the alleged theft happened.

The complainant, who temporarily resides at Sitio Tulubhan, Barangay Manoc-Manoc in Boracay Island, was working for Golden Foreign Exchange Services Money Changer, which is owned by his sister’s Korean live-in partner.

Caagbay said he left the shop located near D’ Talipapa at Sitio Sitio Manggayad, Barangay Balabag, to attend to his personal needs in a nearby comfort room.

But before leaving, he allegedly locked the door and even told a sales lady of an adjacent store that he will go to the toilet.

But when he went back, he was surprised that the “locked door” was already opened and his backpack already missing.

Aside from cash, the bag also contained a mobile phone and a passbook and the check book of his sister Joanna Caagbay.

Footages from closed circuit television (CCTV) caught a man walking from the front beach.

The man is believed to have taken the bag shortly after Caagbay left the shop.

He was later seen fleeing with the backpack.

But in the police blotter of Malay Police Station, the incident was not labeled as robbery or theft but “report on missing backpack.”

“As far as we are concerned, he filed information about the missing backpack with alleged cash inside,” said Police Major Jess Baylon, Malay police chief.

Baylon said there was no proof that the bag indeed contained almost P2.7 million or that a robbery was committed.

While they are investigating the robbery angle, Baylon said they are also considering “inside job” as one of the motives of the incident.

That’s always a possibility, he added.

In this case, everything seemed to have happened in perfect timing – the suspect appears to have concealed his face from the CCTV cameras and the backpack was placed in an area where it could be snatched in a flash.

Given the circumstances, Baylon said the valuables appeared “to have been offered on a silver platter to the thief.”

“But as I’ve said, every angle would be considered,” he said.

Baylon said they are trying to ascertain the identity of the man who snatched the backpack.