A 26-YEAR-OLD woman who allegedly stole around P152,000 worth of items from six UST Lady Spikers was caught by the UST security force last April 16.
The suspect, Annabela Peral Lising, almost got away with the players’ six cellular phones worth P150,000 collectively and a wallet containing P1800 after hiding them all inside her underwear, a report from the UST Safety and Security Services (UST-SSS) said.
One of the volleyball players, Angeli Tabaquero, however, caught Lising still rummaging through the bags of the other players in the UST Gym’s dugout at around 8p.m., even after obtaining the aforementioned items. Tabaquero called the attention of the teammates who were busy in their training session.
“I first thought she was the mother of one of the players,” Tabaquero said.
Lising is now under the custody of the Manila Police District and is facing theft charges.
UST-SSS Detachment Commander Clemente Dinagayan said that one of the possible reasons why Lising was able to enter the University premises was because there was no guard assigned at the gym at the time the incident occurred.
Dingayan explained that a security guard’s watch at the gym is from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. while the members of the volleyball team practices from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Dingayan said that they had requesting former Fr. Melchor Saria, O.P., Vice-Rector for Finance to extend the working hours of security guards from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. but the request was rejected.
“(Fr. Saria) said that the office of the Institute of Physical Education is open only until 5:00 p.m.,” Dingayan said. “After 6 p.m. the whole gym is left to the janitor and the players.”
But since UST will be hosting next year’s UAAP games, Dinagayan said that the University needs to tighten the security of the gym.
“As long as there is no security guard to man the entrance of the gym at certain times, they should stay alert from outsiders entering the place,” he said. Kristine Jane R. Liu
