By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

A former call center agent was brought to Police Station 8 (PS8) after he was allegedly caught shoplifting inside a mall located in Barangay Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City, yesterday afternoon.
Police identified the suspect as 35-year-old Tomas Pialda, a resident of Barangay Antipolo, Pontevedra, Negros Occidental.
Members of PS8 said Pialda was caught in the act of taking several grocery items inside the mall by a mall guard, which includes canned goods, chocolates, cotton buds, and other items.
The guard also reported the suspect was drinking an unpaid soft drink inside the supermarket.
The recovered items value around P749.23.
In an interview with Aksyon Radyo-Bacolod, Pialda claimed he was hungry and desperately needed the money in order to complete his application at a call center company.
Pialda was charged the same day with theft and is detained at PS8./WDJ