Employees of the Iloilo Provincial Legal Office lost reportedly around P5,000 and a cellular phone to a person who went inside the office at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol while workers were out to attend the flag-raising ceremony on May 6, 2024.

In a CCTV footage, the suspect was seen climbing the stairs to the third floor at 7:55 a.m. As there was no CCTV camera at the main door of the Provincial Legal Office the entry was not captured fully.

At 7:59 a.m., a lawyer went inside the said office. The suspect was seen leaving the area hurriedly.

The suspect's face was obscured by a face mask and a covering hid the person's head from view. It was observed further that the person had a backpack on. 

Upon the return of workers to their offices, a commotion ensued at the legal office as they discovered that personal items were missing. An employee lost reportedly a bag with P5,000 cash inside. Another employee complained of a lost cellphone.

Atty. Dennis Ventilacion, provincial legal officer, confirmed that it was the first time an incident of theft happened in their office. 

Capitol has already obtained information on the identity of the suspect. It was found out that the suspect was previously imprisoned for theft.

Capitol will implement a one-entrance, one-exit policy following the incident.

A face recognition system will be enforced stringently. Visitors will be asked to remove their caps or hats, sunglasses, face masks, and other face covering upon entry. Vendors will be required to present proof of registration or valid identification cards. 

The legal team is determined to file charges against the suspect.

As of posting time, the legal team is gathering pieces of evidence to support the charges.