Theft in SM City

I got a copy of this police report last month yet but because of loose ends, I set this subject aside hoping SM City in Bácolod has changed its usual indifference to complaints and to the incidents in this mall. But a month had passed and a report say SM remains uncooperative with the police to collar the culprit or culprits although SM City has the means to help catch the thief.

The police report filed by PO1 Leomel R. Guinanao of the Bácolod Police Station 2 dated December 3 last year says that in late afternoon of November 27 he met the complainant whose name I am withholding as this is not material to the point at hand, and to spare the victim  additional anguish at her misfortune.   

According to Guinanao, the victim discovered at around 3:45 p.m. that her wallet inside her bag containing several personal items, three of which were her credit cards and cash of P5,000 were missing. While she was interviewing a client, she saw two female persons peek inside her office and thinking they were there also to see her, she continued doing her work.

After the interview she went out for a while for personal necessity and on her way out she saw the two persons going towards her but she continued to go to the rest room. On her way back she saw the two leave her office and go out of the building.

When she went inside her office she found that her bag was already on the table and the items listed in the police report gone. Concerned tht her credit card would be used, she immediately called Banco de Oro and CITI to close her credit account but BDO said her BDO Master Card was already used in one of the jewelry stores in SM City. It was just a matter of 15 minutes from her discovery.

A police officer from Victorias who happened to be in the building learned of the theft and called SPO4 Del Carmen of the Police Station 1 which has jurisdiction in SM City. The police learned that the BDO Master Credit Card was used at the  F & C Pawnshop and Jewelry Store in SM City. The credit card was used to purchase P78,360 worth of gold necklace in F & C.

At about 6 p.m. the victim went to F & C to ask why the store allowed the purchase of such a large amount by credit card without asking for authentication and she was told that the sales representative was no longer in the store. The other sales representatives of the store confirmed that the sales girl left after the transaction as “it was her time off” and did not know where she was.

Police investigators tried to find out if the sales and the thieves connived and asked the SM management to see their CCTV camera but the SM management refused to cooperate and said that that the police should first write the SM management before they would be allowed to see the CCTV and investigate their employees. Forthwith the police wrote the letter (the reason I waited writing about this incident) but until now SM had not bothered to reply. 

This is not the first incident. Just prior to this one another executive had the same experience with his credit card which involved a bigger amount but I will write about that later.

These are not ordinary thefts. The present incident raises several questions. First, why did not the Bacolod police office demand that the CCTV be produced and granting that a letter be sent, why was there no follow-up until now? Can SM just thumb its nose to a criminal investigation that might involve people within its premises or employ? Can SM refuse to show its CCTV, a highly possible lead to the identity of the thieves and the solution of the crime?

Why did the police leave it at that and  SM to dictate whether or not to show the evidence and cooperate in the investigation? What is the CCTV for?

Why did the police not insist that SM  act after it has writtend a letter?

 Asking for the evidence that has the leads and elements for the solution of the crime cannot be refused offhand. Is not SM liable for obstruction of justice? 

Why did F & C not surrender or inform the police of the whereabouts of their concerned sales representative? not chiken Why did this this solid woman not  check the signature in the card and the sales receipt? How could the transaction move so fast?

There are more questions but let me leave this for a while and wait for police action. This is a challenge to Sr. Supt Ricardo de la Paz. I smell connivance and SM’s refusal to cooperate smells.*

back to top