2 days ago
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CEBU CITY — He came, he prayed, he stole.
A thief, caught on camera making the sign of the cross before leaving the San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish Church in Barangay Tisa, Cebu City, managed to steal four microphones worth P65,000 in two separate incidents earlier this week.
The first theft happened on Monday morning, March 17, shortly after a Mass. It was not until that evening, when the church choir was preparing to sing, that the loss of two microphones was discovered.
On Wednesday, March 19, the thief struck again and took two more microphones, once again making the sign of the cross before exiting.
Lito Papellero, the church's driver and caretaker, said the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showed the man entering the church, heading to the upper floor, and taking the microphones.
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What startled church officials even more was the suspect's ritual-like gesture, as if asking for divine blessing after committing a crime.
At first, church officials chose not to report the incidents to the police, hoping the thief would be moved by guilt and return the stolen items.
But when several days passed with no sign of the missing equipment, Papellero posted the CCTV footage on his personal Facebook account.
The post attracted attention online, and someone recognized the suspect as a resident of Barangay Punta Princesa.
This prompted the church to report the matter to the Labangon Police Station.
Although the church stated it does not intend to file charges as long as the microphones are returned, Cebu City Police Office Deputy City Director for Operations LtCol. Maria Theresa Macatangay, urged them to reconsider.
She said filing a case would help deter similar incidents in the future.
Police have launched efforts to locate the suspect.
Papellero appealed to the public to help recover the equipment, reminding everyone that the church is a sacred space, and any form of wrongdoing within its walls is unacceptable.
