THE Manamko’ Center in Garapan was burglarized for the second time in less than a month, Office on Aging Director Walter Manglona said.
On the morning of Nov. 6, his staff opened the center to find its offices in disarray, and multiple doors damaged.
Manglona said based on a preliminary inventory count, the Manamko’ Center is missing a laptop, a printer, two Bluetooth speakers, gift certificates to KFC, Taco Bell and Bali Fashion, a portable gas stove, batteries of all sizes, food stamps, and assorted candies.
A Manamko’ Center staff member is also missing her personal laptop, which she stored in her office.
Manglona believes that the burglar or burglars may have forced their way into the center through a window on the building’s south side. Once inside, the burglar or burglars went from office to office, forcing their way through barricaded doors in an effort to find valuables.
Manglona said the burglar or burglars may have exited by breaking a dead bolt in the door of the bingo hall.
He said it is “disheartening” that the Center on Aging is going through this incident. The Manamko’ Center, he added, is like a home for his clients.
“They come here every weekday, and they spend their time here and they socialize,” he said. “We provide services for them. We provide meals for them. We provide access and assistance with supportive services. We help them be happy and stay active and stay informed and be protected and educated.”
He said the laptop and Bluetooth speakers were used by the manamko’ to play bingo, sing karaoke, and do morning exercises.
“When it comes to the point where [burglars] are already stealing from our seniors, it’s really sad,” Manglona said.
He added that the Manamko’ Center staff have taken many precautions to guard against burglary, but “desperate” burglars have managed to force their way in.
He said they have installed two-way deadbolts, barricaded windows and doors, locked their main entryways with chains, padlocked their gates at night, and installed security cameras.
Manglona said “it’s not uncommon” that they’ve been the victims of burglary, and once, burglars even took the hard drive of their security camera system.
“We’re doing our part and we’re going to continue to do our part to try to make the place secured but I really hope that the detectives find any lead to this crime and hopefully we can stop it or deter these people,” Manglona said.
He thinks that drug use may have played a role in the burglary.
“I can only speculate, but we need stronger enforcement and just more serious intervention for people that are recovering addicts or somebody who might be going through challenges in their lives that have to resort to thievery to be able to support their habits,” he said.
Office on Aging Director Walter Manglona said the windows are locked at night, but these were damaged recently and may have been where the burglars entered the Center on Aging.
One of the doors to an office in the Center on Aging was damaged by burglars.
The door to the Bingo Hall at the Center on Aging was damaged during a recent burglary.
The Center on Aging has been burglarized again.
The Center on Aging has taken numerous precautions to guard against burglars, but “desperate” perpetrators have still targeted the facility.
This office is relatively organized now, but when Center on Aging staff found it Monday morning it was in disarray. The door in the background is normally locked and barricaded with a cabinet, which can be seen lying in the foreground.
