Palma wants Calungsod chapel burglars punished
CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma wants the burglars who stole cash from the San Pedro Calungsod Chapel arrested and punished.
The prelate said this after the police decided to terminate the investigation of the case because chapel personnel refused to cooperate.
“Ampo lang kita nga those who committed the crime will be punished since that’s part of our justice system . I will check on that. We want the crime solved and the perpetrators apprehended. I will try to contact Msgr. (Vicente) Tupas regarding the matter,” Palma said.
Theft and Robbery Section chief Senior Insp. William Alicaba earlier said the two nuns, the chapel secretary and the chapel cleaner, did not show up when they were invited for questioning last Wednesday.
The police were only told to talk to their lawyer.
At least P100,000 cash and assorted checks were lost and the cabinet where the cash and checks were kept was not forced open.
Alicaba said earlier that only the secretary and the two nuns have the duplicate key to the drawer.
The police believe that the burglary was an inside job.
Palma said that he will communicate with Msgr. Tupas, the rector of SM Seaside’s San Pedro Calungsod Chapel, to discuss the matter.
Palma said he has no idea who the perpetrators were.
The three security guards of the chapel, Lemuel Cuesta, Raymund Tanelon and Wilfredo Talisic, had appeared at the TRS to clear their names.
It was proven that they were innocent after it was found that the three guards were not on duty when the crime took place based on the chapel’s logbook.