SM mall did not comply with 2013 security pact – police

 News
Dec 162013
 

Robbers use hammers to steal jewelry in SM North EDSA

Robbers use hammers to steal jewelry in SM North EDSA. Security personnel of SM North EDSA cordon off the crime scene where a so-called “martilyo gang” struck on Sunday night, stealing jewelry on display and causing shoppers to panic. Jun Veneracion, GMA News

Mall security measures forged nearly a year ago in the aftermath of another martilyo gang heist were not implemented and may have made the jewelry robbery on Sunday at the SM North EDSA mall easier for the suspects to carry out, the Philippine National Police said.

PNP officials said procedures on the sale of hardware and the provision of improved CCTV security camera systems were among the measures that were apparently not taken seriously.

The PNP said hardware purchased inside the malls were supposed to have been turned over to buyers outside the mall premises.

Higher-resolution CCTV systems and constant monitoring of security videos were also agreed upon months ago, but the PNP said the poor quality of the video footage of the heist last Sunday is a clear indicator of the lack of compliance.

Grainy video of the Sunday robbery and a receipt showed that the suspects used a hammer and a crowbar purchased in the mall.

The MOA, which was forged with the Mall Security Managers Association, provided that shoppers who bought tools like hammers  would claim their purchased items outside the mall, Raffy Tima reported on GMA News TV’s State of the Nation with Jessica Soho Monday evening.

The agreement was struck in the aftermath of a jewelry heist in SM Megamall in January of this year by members of a gang that used a pipe wrench to break the display cases of the jewelry store they robbed.

Police also said one of the suspects in Sunday’s heist may have been involved in the robbery that happened in SM Megamall branch of the same jewelry company.

The suspect’s features seemed similar to those of a suspect in the Megamall incident, a police official said.

The PNP also said they are working various leads and angles, but declined to give specifics.

Aside from the Megamall incident last January, a robbery was pulled off on November 14, 2010 at SM City Bicutan. At least five people, including a three-year-old, were injured in a grenade explosion after robbers stole jewelry from a shop inside the mall. A hammer bought from a hardware store inside was used to break the glass jewelry case. — MJC/ELR/HS, GMA News

Multiple organ infection may have led to Lolong's death, necropsy shows

 News
Feb 202013
 
Multiple organ infection may have led to Lolong's death, necropsy shows

Lolong, the Philippine crocodile that held the record as the world’s largest crocodile before it died earlier this month, may have suffered from multiple organ infection even before it was captured in 2011. This was one of the findings of a necropsy conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, according to a report of Jun Veneracion on GMA News’ Saksi Wednesday night. “Based dun sa nakita dun sa lesions, talagang hindi rin siya tatagal… [may] multiple organ infection,” said PAWB Director Theresa Lim.  Lolong was found dead last Feb. 10. With its death, the Guinness World Records now recognizes Australia-based Cassius as the world’s biggest crocodile in captivity. Lim said Lolong may have already been weakening due to infection of major organs including the heart, kidneys and liver. She also said this condition could have preceded the pneumonia earlier tagged as the cause of Lolong’s death. “Maaring before pa siyang nahuli meron na siyang infection,” she said. The “Saksi” report also quoted Dr. Emilia Lasticay of the University of the Philippines’ College of Veterinary Medicine as saying they are still trying to establish if Lolong’s condition was chronic. “We are trying to establish yung timeline kung recent lang ang condition o kung matagal na ang condition,” she said. — RSJ, GMA News