By Genno Gabriel Rabaya | September 20, 2023
After a report of an alleged “juice and food theft” incident occurring around Silliman University was filed, the Silliman University Student Government (SUSG) Students’ Rights and Welfare (STRAW) Committee consulted with the University Legal Counsel to prevent future similar issues.
“We immediately sent an incident report addressed to the officer in command of the Campus Security and Safety Office (CSSO), Mr. Rodolfo Jull B. Locsin Jr. He then forwarded the email to Sir Abe Cadelina and Sir Abe suggested that we approach the legal counsel to ask for advice,” said Alenah Paulane Ligan, SUSG STRAW Chairperson.
STRAW then reached out to the victim, Jan Andrei Elizalde, and arranged a meeting with the Atty. Joshua Ablong, University Legal Counsel, through the Office of General Counsel to discuss the situation.
Ligan confirmed that during the discussion, CSSO has filed a police blotter of the incident and that guards around campus have already been alerted.
“Part of our meeting was discussing the ways forward to prevent this from happening again. One of those was to try to contact the family of the perpetrator. It is wise to contact the family first rather than contact the DSWD because it could escalate internal conflicts within their family,” she said.
Currently, a citizen’s arrest is being processed in the event that a similar case would occur.
“Campus Security has been given the necessary directive to monitor the individual concerned […],” Atty. Ablong added.
The incident occurred on Aug. 21, outside Villareal Gate.
Elizalde shared a video on X (formerly known as Twitter) of his encounter with the alleged thief.
“He stopped in his tracks right in front of me and just looked at me, and [then] I took off my headphones expecting that he was going to ask for directions, but rather, he just looked at my juice, took it, [and] walked away,” he said.
Elizalde also said that about twenty students had replied to his post, claiming that they had had food and drinks stolen by the same perpetrator.
He added that “although the incident is not of utmost concern, people should still be vigilant of what happens inside and outside SU.”
