The police yesterday said they are still investigating a reported burglary at the Paglaum Sports Complex in Bacolod City that involved more than P300,000 worth of electrical and metal materials despite the denial of the break-in by school officials.

Police Station 1 commander, Chief Inspector Noel Manaay, said that even with the statement of Negros Occidental High School officials that no burglary happened at the ground floor of the sports complex's grandstand at Hernaez Street , they will investigate the incident further.

NOHS principal, Nilda Monge, told the DAILY STAR that the items cited by Ramon Balquin yesterday had already been reported last year as they have long been missing.

Balquin, a caretaker working for Nanette Roa of the Department of Education Division Schools Office, told the police that about P300,000 worth of electrical wires, pipes, metal frames, and other items were missing when he checked the building at about 10:45 a.m. yesterday.

Monge, however, said that these materials were lost last year and have already been reported to the police.

“We were not robbed,” the principal said.

She added that if they had indeed been robbed, Balquin should have reported the incident to them first before going to the police as he is not under the NOHS.

Lolita Cual, the school's administrative officer, meanwhile said, that she has no way of verifying Balquin's estimate of the value of the reported lost items as they have no list of those materials.

Balquin said that he reported the incident as a precaution because they will be using the facility for the training of athletes who are preparing for the regional meet.

“We just want to be on the safe side in case there will be questions later,” he said.

Monge said that a security guard mans the area, particularly at night, but added that, with the size of the sports complex, thieves could easily sneak into the building.

She said that Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella also used to provide security guards in the area.

Lloyd Piadoche, a security guard in the area, said that, as far as he knows, nobody has broken into the rooms under the grandstand as he has the keys to all the gates in the sports complex.

Manaay said that he respects Monge's statement but, as their evaluation of the place shows there was a forced entry.

He added though, that they could no longer lift fingerprints from the areas supposedly entered by robbers in the building as many persons have already touched them.*PP

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