Calinog pawnshop robbed of cash, jewelry

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Robbers crawled through a drainage line and broke into a pawnshop and jewelry store in Calinog, Iloilo.

The incident was discovered around 8 a.m. April 27 after the teller of C. Bayate Pawnshop and Jewelry Store reported for work.

The teller, identified only as Josie, 36, said she immediately found a large hole in the pawnshop’s floor.

She also noticed that items inside the store were in disarray.

Josie then entered the room where the shop kept its cash and valuables.

She reported that about PHP 100,000 in cash and various jewelry pieces valued at approximately PHP 100,000 were missing.

Maj. Myles Dieron, Calinog police chief, said the pawnshop is located at the Calinog public market.

Dieron said the suspects likely passed through a drainage sewer near the river and made their way to the market by crawling through the line for about 300 meters.

He said the store had no CCTV cameras.

Dieron added that more than two suspects may have been involved.

Members of the PNP Forensic Unit have already checked the scene to gather evidence.

The Iloilo Police Provincial Office’s most recent recorded pawnshop and jewelry store robbery happened on Dec. 17, 2025, at GT Town Center in Pavia.

Around PHP 30 million worth of jewelry was estimated to have been taken by robbers from the jewelry store.

The company also lost PHP 280,000 in bills that were left inside the vault along with the jewelry.

Police said a nearby money changer shop also lost PHP 588,000 in cash and an undetermined amount of foreign currency.

The money was reportedly placed inside an unlocked vault.