PHP 30M jewelry stolen in Pavia mall robbery

By Jennifer P. Rendon

About PHP 30 million worth of jewelry was stolen by robbers from a pawnshop and jewelry store inside a mall in Pavia, Iloilo.

The Iloilo Police Provincial Office said the amount was based on an inventory conducted by the jewelry shop’s management.

In addition to the jewelry, the company also lost PHP 280,000 in cash that had been kept inside the vault.

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

Authorities said the cash was stored inside an unlocked vault.

Col. Bayani Razalan, Iloilo provincial police director, said investigators are looking into the involvement of at least six to seven men in the robbery at two establishments inside GT Town Center in Barangay Ungka II, Pavia.

Based on closed-circuit television footage, three men entered the mall at around 3:10 a.m. on Dec. 17.

“But there could be lookouts and a driver who were waiting outside,” Razalan said.

Police said the three suspects, one of whom was wearing a bonnet, gained entry by passing through a drainage system via an open culvert.

They reportedly accessed an area inside the Nuat Thai Foot and Body Massage Center, where they hammered through the floor until they created a hole large enough for a medium-built person.

Once inside the spa, the suspects allegedly climbed and forced open the ceiling, crawled through it, and created another opening leading to the pawnshop and jewelry store.

Police said the suspects destroyed the vault where the money and jewelry were stored.

They reportedly took all valuables and left behind only watch straps.

Razalan presided over a case conference Thursday morning to assess the incident.

Investigators said the robbery may have been carried out by the so-called Termite Gang, based on the method used.

Razalan said the suspects may have planned the heist for at least a month.

He said a tenant reported hearing hammering sounds on Sunday night but did not investigate further.

“But we’re not discounting the possibility that this was also an inside job. They could have gotten information from within. Worse, one of those who joined them may be familiar with the layout of the mall,” Razalan said.

The incident was discovered at around 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 17 and was reported to police about an hour later.

A 22-year-old security guard at GT Town Center discovered the incident while on duty.

He noticed debris falling from the mall’s ceiling, prompting him to alert authorities.

When police arrived, they found a man-made hole inside the massage parlor.

Investigators said no valuables were taken from the spa.

Police said the manner in which the robbery was executed led them to believe it was the work of the Termite Gang.

The Termite Gang is known for targeting banks, pawnshops, and commercial establishments by using tools such as bolt cutters, hydraulic jacks, and other equipment to breach structures.

Police said the group was originally traced to the Cordillera region, where some members are believed to have backgrounds in mining and excavation.

The last robbery in Iloilo allegedly linked to the Termite Gang occurred in August 2024.

An Iloilo Supermart branch in Barangay Tabuc Suba, Jaro district, Iloilo City, lost about PHP 1.3 million in cash in that incident.

In April 2023, a jewelry stall at a mall in La Paz district, Iloilo City, also reported a robbery.

On Dec. 5, a stall in Balasan, Iloilo, lost jewelry worth about PHP 5 million and 33 mobile phones valued at PHP 359,000.

Razalan said police issued warnings to establishments after last year’s robbery in Iloilo City.

“That’s why we immediately sent warnings to establishments. We conducted lectures in almost all malls on how to strengthen security, and everyone was included,” he said.

Investigators are now gathering information to determine whether the suspects rented a place within the area prior to the robbery.