Wallet stolen in Dagupan, returned with apology letter

A wallet stolen from a shoe store in Dagupan City was returned later with a note of apology, though the cash inside was already missing.

CCTV footage showed a man loitering outside a shoe store in Barangay Mayombo evening on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, before entering quickly and taking a wallet left on a sofa.

The wallet, which belonged to a relative of the shop owner, contained P3,000 and several ATM cards.

“Yung mga dalawang babae nandito sa harap, tas kaming dalawang lalaki nasa loob. Tapos hindi po namin namalayan na nakabukas po pala yung pintuan, hindi naka-lock. Tas pagpasok nung dalawa, as in one minute lang po, saka na po dumaan yung salisi,” Kier Ballesteros, a store employee, said.

The shop owner sought help from both barangay officials and police the next day.

Authorities identified the suspect later as a resident of Barangays 2 and 3. The owner said they had spoken with the man and requested that at least the wallet and ATM cards be returned, even without the cash.

“Parang kinausap na ibalik lang yung kinuha kahit wag po yung laman, basta yung kinuha lang po. Ta[pos] after po noon, kinabukasan binalik,” Ballesteros said.

By Wednesday morning, the wallet was found outside the store inside a plastic bag, along with a handwritten note where the suspect apologized and admitted he stole it out of financial hardship.

The ATM cards were intact, but the money was gone.

Police declined to give a statement, while the barangay council has yet to issue a response. — GMA Regional TV News