Miriam seeks probe of P10M robbery at Fort Bonifacio Naval Station

From InterAksyon (Jan 2): Miriam seeks probe of P10M robbery at Fort Bonifacio Naval Station

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago has filed Senate Resolution No. 1059 seeking an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the alleged P10-million robbery inside the Fort Bonifacio Naval Station recently.

In her resolution, Santiago said that on November 16, 2014, personnel of the Naval Station discovered the robbery, which was then investigated by National Capital Region Police Office's Southern Police District (SPD).

“Lt. Cmdr. Marineth Domingo, the Navy's public affairs office chief, reportedly said an initial inquiry showed that the huge amount of money was taken from the manager's vault inside her office, which was not forcibly opened,” Santiago said.

Quoting Domingo, Santiago said that while she could not give the exact amount lost, there were reports that the robbers took off with PIO million.

“The Navy official further claimed that roving guards and security personnel did not notice anything unusual, nor did they monitor any unauthorized entry in the base premises,” Santiago said.

The robbery was discovered by an employee only the morning after the incident, and SPD was immediately notified of the theft.

Santiago said that the incident raises concerns on the safety of keeping huge amounts of money in government offices.

“It is timely to discuss the feasibility of a no-cash policy in all public transactions, to reduce the possibility of similar incidents,” Santiago said.

Congress, through relevant legislation, should ensure that public funds are not only appropriately used, but also safely kept, she added.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/102236/miriam-seeks-probe-of-p10m-robbery-at-fort-bonifacio-naval-station