PhP15 Million Gone

Source:perusals.wordpress.com

On May 22, unidentified robbers broke into the house of a top official of a water company in Ayala Heights, Quezon City. The unidentified suspects  stole PhP 15 million (US$ 348,837) worth of cash and personal valuables while the victim and his wife were away for a few days. They entrusted the house under the care of their driver and one stay in housemaid. Police will subject the driver and maid for further investigation.

Police Findings:  

• The robbers ransacked the third floor master bedroom and the safety vault was forcibly opened by a pick. The pick was a tool belonging to the household.
• The suspects could have entered the master bedroom’s bathroom window.
• The burglars could have gain access to the perimeter area of the property by scaling the 10 feet perimeter wall of the house.
• Police noticed that there were no other signs of any forced entry anywhere in the house.
• The perpetrators seemed to have a wide knowledge in the content of the safety vault.
• The resident claimed that the housemaid has an access to their bedroom to clean.

Source:www.dreamstime.com

Kurukuro believes that the Ayala Heights robbery incident is an inside job. As to who had done it, Kurukuro gives due respect and recognition in the ability of Philippine National Police and Ayala Heights village security in identifying and apprehending the suspects.

Kurukuro reiterates that all employers should be cautious when leaving the entire household to domestic staff only. Employers, who have long time domestic staff, have to be vigilant at all times. Although their loyalty had been proven already, collusion with criminal syndicates is a big possibility especially in this present hard time. 

Kurukuro tips to all employers

Landlines are for the exclusive use of the employers and their family members. Never allow domestic staff to answer phone calls especially if employers are not around. Explain to them that if there will be an emergency and important calls, you will get in touch with them through their mobile phones.

Employers should prohibit domestic staff from using the landline unless it is important in nature. They have their mobile phones wherein they can be contacted by their families and friends.

Explain to all your domestic staff the importance of not disclosing the personal and business affairs of their employers with their friends or family, their employer’s relatives and friends, or any visitors to the house or callers on the telephone.

Instruct domestic staff not to exchange text messages with somebody you don’t know personally.

Do not allow your domestic helpers’ family, relatives and friends into the house unless you give permission to prevent any unfavorable incident in your house.

FOR MORE ARTICLES RELATED TO DOMESTIC STAFF

Please go to Kurukuro’s :

Tete a Tete With Ate  Date: February 9, 2011

The Enemy Within      Date: March 17, 2011

Semana Santa Advisory

Source Pic: http://www.jimthebest.com/

Holy Week is celebrated by Christians around the world to commemorate the most important events in Christendom: death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As the whole Philippines and Filipino people observe Lent on April 21 and 22, lawless elements are also on the move. From Holy Monday to Easter Sunday, most residents, gated communities and condominium owners, will be busy attending several religious activities in the church or will choose to be out of town to celebrate Lent. With all the residents gone out, the houses are left under the care of assigned domestic staff.

Senior citizens, housemaids, gardeners and drivers are considered the most gullible people to these robbery syndicates. Kurukuro reminds all residents and condo unit owners to be cautious and prudent in safeguarding their homes and personal valuables.



Pic:dwhamby1.wordpress.com



In every Holy Week observance, police authorities always face a humongous responsibility of providing security to everyone. Let us hope and pray that starting today until Easter Sunday, there will be no untoward incident will take place. Let us help Philippine National Police (PNP) officers and their men lessen the headaches they are facing this time of the year by following Kurukuro’s safety guidelines:

1. Family adult members are encouraged to escort their senior citizen relatives at all times.
2. Make sure to lock all your doors and windows at all times. Windows that slide up and down are normally easy to break into.
3. Make sure that the house perimeter is well lighted. The most effective in preventing intrusion is to have a well lighted house.
4. Secure crawl spaces, ventilation shafts, air conditioning and heating ducts and other openings. Make sure that window air conditioners are installed securely and cannot easily be removed from the outside
5. If going out of town, ask Barangay officials and village security to check your home from time to time. Ask a relative or your trusted neighbor to keep an eye on your property while you are away. Request baranggay security officials or village mobile patrol to frequent your place. 

Safety Tips When Going to Crowded Churches

• 

  Source:azraelcoladilla.com

  Criminals are getting bolder. As the churches fill with people, criminals feast on these timed opportunities. Hold on to your bags and valuables while praying inside the church.
• Avoid wearing jewelry and bringing in expensive gadgets such as cellular phone and ipods. Petty crimes like theft, cellular phone snatching and robbery are higher in this time of the year.  Do not flash your valuables when in public.
• Church goers are discouraged to use shoulder bags and purses to avoid being snatch or rob.
• Preferably one must go with friends or family when attending church activities like Visita Iglesia.
• Bring just enough cash and leave your credit cards and other valuables at home.

Maid In Hell




On April 7, 2011, police arrested a housemaid named Shanly Denega alias Arlyn for qualified theft filed be her recent employer from Quezon City. According to the employer, the suspect approached her and begged for a domestic staff job while inside a carwash area in Quezon City. She accepted the suspect right away and brought her home. The next day after, the master bedroom was in disarray and cash and jewelries were already missing. The employer said that the suspect poisoned them before getting their valuables.

When brought to Quezon City police station 3, a man complained that the same suspect poisoned his aunt and robbed her of her cash and valuables. Later in the day, several past employers came to the police station and identified the suspect as the maid who robbed them of their valuables. During the investigation, police identified the suspect’s real name as Anamie Livrando.

To know more about the Maid in Hell please go to the official website at http://kurukuronimye.com/2011/04/maid-in-hell/

In The Summer Time



Source: http://www.graphicshunt.com/



Do you think criminals take a summer vacation too? Think again. Crime rate may slightly increase during summer months of March, April and May. During school break, teenagers, who have nothing to do, get into drugs and alcohol and may become involved in theft and violence. Tourists who flock in beaches may become victims of theft and robbery. Foreigners and Filipino balikbayans are not the only ones being victimized by robbery syndicates but home owners as well. Due to heat, people tend to be lax and forget about common safety precautions such as locking the doors and windows of homes and cars.

While Filipinos have a one track mind of either beach, travel abroad and going home to our respective provinces, lawless elements have one track mind of getting into houses and vacation homes to ransack all valuables.  The following incidents depict summer months are also time to be cautious especially when you’re out of town with the family.

To Know more on Accomodations Dos and Donts please go to the official website http://kurukuronimye.com/2011/04/in-the-summer-time/

The Enemy Within

Bus bombed, carjackers stole SUVs, hijackers took off with a busload of baby products and Gapos Gang robbed and killed a resident. These crimes are prevalent in our society. But there are domestic crimes that go unnoticed and criminals behind live freely.  

Source:www.vanguardngr.com



• On March 8, 2011, a nanny kidnapped his 10 year old ward in Naic, Cavite Province. The boy’s parents sought police assistance which resulted to the apprehension of a certain Delia Ramos in Rosario, Cavite Province.The suspect is now in police custody facing kidnapping charges.
• On March 6, 2011, a newly hired housemaid identified as Maria Pelayo Cabato robbed her physician employer jewelries worth PhP200,000 (US$ 4,597) in Las Pinas City. According to the employer, the suspect presented to them fake clearance from National Bureau of Investigation and barangay certificate. The employer said that the new housemaid came from an employment agency. The suspect remains at large.
  
• On February 12, 2011, a houseboy robbed and killed his male employer in Baguio City, Benguet Province. According to the police investigation, the suspecting was borrowing money from the victim to spend it on Valentine’s Day with his family. The employer refused which prompted the suspect to kill him and took off with PhP 30,000(US$690).
• On January 15, 2011, a newly hired baby sitter robbed of her employer PhP 1 million (US$ 22,988) worth of jewelries and other personal belongings. The employer said that she hired the suspect without doing background check as she was personally referred by her brother. She narrated that the suspect won her trust when she took care of her son for one day without a hassle. On the second day, she left for work and entrusted her son to the new yaya and another housemaid. Later in the day, she got a call from the other maid informing her that suspect left the house premises and took off with her jewelries. The suspect is now the subject of police manhunt.

• On December 7, 2010, a 20 year old baby sitter kidnapped her two wards, aged seven and four years old, while their mother was busy shopping for the holidays in Bacoor, Cavite Province. Aside from abducting her children, the suspect ransacked her house and took all her personal belongings. The victim immediately sought police assistance which resulted to the recovery of the victim’s valuables in Barangy Molino 7, Bacoor, Cavite province. The two children remain missing together with the suspect.

To know more on Basic Background Checking on domestic staff please go to the official website at http://kurukuronimye.com/2011/03/the-enemy-within/

Tete a Tete With Ate*

Conversation between an employer and her housemaid a few days ago.



Source:www.indoormarketplace.com



Housemaid: Ate, meron po biglang nag text sa akin nun Sunday. Pwede daw po ako maging kaibigan.Tinanong nya po ako kung ilang taon na ako . Nun sinabi ko po na 18, bigla niya sinabi sa akin na ipapakilala nya ang anak nya na kasing edad ko.Hinihingi nya po yun address natin kase pupuntahan nya daw ako. Namimilit malaman ang Street natin? 

 (English Translation: Last Sunday, an unidentified man sent me a mobile message. He was trying to befriend me through text and inquired about my age. When I told him I am 18, he suddenly told me that he will introduce me to his son, who’s the same age with me and suggested we can go on a date. He demanded right away for our address. )

Employer: Kilala mo ba yun? Ano ang sinabi mo sa kanya?

(Do you know who you’re texting? What did you tell him?)

Source:queensland.inetgiant.com.au

Housemaid: Naalala ko yun sinabi nyo sa akin na pag may nag text na hindi ko kilala at nagtanong ng personal information nating lahat dto sa bahay, eh possible may masama sya motibo. Binabaan ko sya ng cellphone.

(You told me if an unidentified  person asks for personal information, there’s a strong possibility that the suspect has a bad motive. I immediately turned off my mobile phone.)

Kurukuro believes that this new ploy is perpetrated by criminal syndicates who wish to pick potential victims to rob or do harm through the unsuspecting domestic helpers.  In totality, domestic helpers are good-hearted whose main purpose is to earn money for their  impoverished families in the provinces. However due to poverty, criminal syndicates can used or pressure them into committing a crime to earn extra cash.

Employers, who have long time domestic staff, have to be vigilant at all times. Although their loyalty had been proven already, collusion with criminal syndicates is a big possibility especially in this present hard time.  A long time yaya or cook may be used by syndicates as an accessory or tipster in their group.

Employers, it’s not going to hurt your busy schedule if you talk to your domestic staff particularly the housemaids once in a while. Giving few minutes of your time to talk to them can save lives and can prevent you, your family and the entire household from being victimized by lawless elements. You will be surprised that with this simple gesture will make them appreciate their employer and will be more open to you.

Source:nanny-network.com

Communication with staff is important and vital in day to day household operation. You as an employer will be more updated of their personal lives. Though at times it may be too shallow for an employer to discuss housemaids’ personal lives, they give the whole picture of themselves and who they deal with everyday.

The chit chat moment with your housemaids is the best time to tell them about the safety measures that they can apply daily. Give them safety tips and explain the repercussions of being lax in dealing with strangers.

Employers’ A Must Do to prevent crime in the household:

• Landlines are for the exclusive use of the employers and their family members. Never allow domestic staff to answer phone calls especially if employers are not around. Explain to them that if there will be an emergency and important calls, you will get in touch with them through their mobile phones.
• As for Dugo Dugo Gang modus operandi, the best way to check it out if the call is legitimate or not, specifically instructs your domestic staff to call you personally in your mobile phone. Give alternative people to call in case you cannot be reached.
• If you are getting a new maid, tell them all the ground rules inside the house especially the safety and security of the whole family. If possible, tell them the Dugo Dugo gang’s modus operandi.
• Employers should prohibit domestic staff from using the landline unless it is important in nature. They have their mobile phones wherein they can be contacted by their families and friends.
• Explain to all your domestic staff the importance of not disclosing the personal and business affairs of their employers with their friends or family, their employer’s relatives and friends, or any visitors to the house or callers on the telephone.
• Instruct domestic staff not to exchange text messages with somebody you don’t know personally.
• Do not allow your domestic helpers’ family, relatives and friends into the house unless you give permission to prevent any unfavorable incident in your house.

Note: *Ate is a Filipino term/word for female employer.

Message from Ms. Kurukuro

To all my readers:



Source:www.healthspablog.org



Kurukuro will be back soon.

I got an eye problem and now consulting my doctor.