By CESAR JOLITO III

Police are investigating a robbery at a merchandise store in Negros Occidental’s Kabankalan City, where an estimated P180,000 in cash was stolen after unidentified suspects allegedly broke into the establishment and disabled its security system.

The incident was discovered at around 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 27, when employees of DIY General Merchandise along Agilles-Zayco Avenue in Barangay 2, opened the store for business.

Initial findings by Kabankalan police showed that the door leading to the store’s office had been forcibly damaged.

Investigators also found that the office vault had been forcibly opened, with the store’s cash collections amounting to approximately P180,000 missing.

Police said the suspects are believed to have entered the establishment between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on Friday, June 26, after destroying the window grills and glass window on the building’s second floor.

Authorities added that the perpetrators allegedly cut and destroyed the store’s CCTV system connections while inside the premises, apparently to avoid being identified.

The suspects remain unidentified, and investigators are reviewing available evidence and pursuing leads to identify and arrest those responsible for the robbery./CCJ, WDJ