P15.1-M worth of stolen telco batteries recovered, three nabbed

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) will recommend the possible closure of a junk shop here following the recovery of P15.1 million worth of batteries stolen from a telecommunications cell site in Mabinay, Negros Oriental.

In a press briefing yesterday, Police Colonel Noel Aliño, acting BCPO director, said they will discuss with the city government here the possible sanction of the junk shop owner.

“We will recommend it. We will check. Kung anong policies na na break. Kasi hindi naman pupuwedeng ganoon ng ganoon na may violations,” Aliño said, even if the shop has a valid business permit.

Police arrested three persons for allegedly selling the stolen batteries to a junk shop on Mabini Street in Barangay 25 here last Thursday.

Arrested in the hot pursuit operation were Erwin Aribato, 30, Romelyn Quiatchon, 26, and Joseph Villanueva, 30, all residents of Barangay Banago here.

Aliño said they intercepted a black van in a junk shop after receiving a report about the perpetrators going to Bacolod.

The Mabinay Municipal Police Station in Negros Oriental and the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (Norppo) coordinated with the BCPO after two telecommunication firms reported that some of their batteries at the cell sites were missing.

Aliño said that only three out of eight persons were arrested, as the others escaped.

Police recovered from the suspects 15 units of 12 volts 180AH batteries amounting to P1.5 million, while 136 units of telco batteries amounting to P13.6 million were recovered from the junk shop.

Aliño said the stolen batteries were allegedly intended to be used for solar.

He said they are probing if these suspects are part of an organized or syndicated group.

Aliño said they do not discount the possibility that there might be an “inside job,” citing previous instances of cable robbers even reported wearing a telco uniform to steal cable wires here.

“May guard naman. Ba’t mananakawan? Mag cocollapse ang internet kung ganyan kadami ang nawala,” he added.

But Aliño did not elaborate as they are still conducting a follow-up investigation.

“May mga places pa kami na pupuntahan,” he said.

Aside from batteries, some copper wires and street signages were also seen at the junk shop, according to Aliño.

Aliño said the junk shop owner was not present when they visited the shop. He added that the owner will also be investigated and might be charged for anti-fencing law.

Earlier, the local government and the BCPO met with junk shop owners to inform them of their responsibility against the rampant stealing of cable wires here in the previous months that affected some businesses and residential areas due to unstable internet connection.

In fact, there were already previous apprehensions against cable robbers.

Aliño said the three suspects have been turned over to the custody of Norppo for the filing of robbery charges. He added that some of them have previous criminal cases.

He said they will also verify the owner of the van, which was claimed to be rented by someone and used by the arrested suspects.