Over P200,000 stolen from Leyte church

LEYTE, Philippines – An unidentified thief or unknown thieves ransacked the parish registry office of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Barangay Poblacion, Leyte, on Saturday, January 27, stealing approximately P235,000 in church funds.

The money, which was the church’s hard-earned income, was stored in the parish’s main registry office. It was discovered gone with the office door forced open and the steel cabinet containing the money also destroyed.

Parish Secretary Corazon Delantar discovered the theft at around 8:30 am.

The incident was immediately reported by the parish to the Leyte Municipal Police Station (MPS). Tools presumably used by the robber or robbers to ransack the premises, including pliers and screwdrivers, were recovered at the crime scene. 

The tools have been turned over as evidence to the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) of the Biliran Forensic Unit to aid in the ongoing investigation and the identification of the suspect or suspects.

The Leyte MPS has refrained from issuing any statement at this time while the investigation is ongoing.

This recent theft is not an isolated incident. The area has seen several robberies recently, including a heist at a convenience store in December 2023, with the burglar stealing around P500,000. 

In light of this incident, residents are urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police.

In November 2023, a teacher was found murdered inside Baybay National High School in Baybay City, Leyte. – Rappler.com

Jerry Yubal Jr. is a campus journalist from the Visayas State University (VSU) in Baybay City Main Campus. The executive editor of Amaranth, he is also an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow of Rappler for 2023-2024.