The authorities here in Southern Leyte should be alarmed of the successful operations of the “Akyat Bahay” (housebreaker) group of thieves who are currently operating here in the Province of Southern Leyte.

I heard from the talks of the residents in Malitbog, Southern Leyte that on these recent days, the “Akyat Bahay” thieves successfully broke in to the houses in Burgos, Divisoria (Bontoc), and San Vicente (Malitbog). The thieves on these separate locations and incidents used similar ways in robbing their victims:

1. Feeding the dogs with food that contains poison.
2. Forcibly opening the doors or windows.
3. Stealing valuables that can be easily brought out of the house like cash, cards, jewelries, cellphones, and other smaller but expensive things.

And only last night, we became the victims of this “Akyat Bahay” thieves.

Our two dogs and two cats were killed by the poison mixed with the food that these thieves threw at them. When the dogs went quiet, the thieves started to break in to the compound using the fence at the back of our house.

They started to check our dirty kitchen. There, they found the knife, the “Lugi” (a tool used in Copra making process), a hammer, and a piece of steel rod. I don’t know what were they thinking and how did they use these things. What I know is that they’re bringing these things as they entered the house and searched for our valuables.

I thought at first, the house is really safe from “Akyat Bahay” thieves especially that all windows have well-set window-grills and the doors are made of first-class hard woods.

But the thieves found the weakness of that house, the sliding door. I think it was easy for them to forcibly open that door because it did not awaken my sister and my two aunts who were sleeping in the room near that door, and the door of that room has not been shut off.

They entered all the rooms of our house except the room where my sister and my two aunts slept, and the other room where my wife and I stayed. The thieves did not bother to enter the room of my sister and my aunts maybe because they don’t want them to be awaken. But these thieves tried to open the door of our room using the keys the found. Unfortunate they failed to open it.

We found out that thieves were there in our house only when my aunt found the door of the dirty kitchen was opened widely, and then next she discovered their shoulder bags outside the house near the location where the dead dogs lay.

Lessons from this experience

While the Police investigators were collecting for evidences, I reflected and learned these lessons.

(1) Don’t let the thieves enter your house.

One of the famous saying says: “Prevention is better than cure.”

This saying is of course talking about our health. And it is said that preventing to be ill is really better than curing the illnesses that we have. Spending money to make our body healthy and making our immune system strong is really better than spending money to cure our illnesses.

However, this saying can also be applied against thieves. Preventing thieves in breaking our house is really better than pursuing them after stealing all our valuables.

But how can we avoid the entrance of the thieves in our house? Here’s how:

1. Check your house or the compound of your house of the possible entrance of thieves and install something that would hinder the thieves in infiltrating.
2. Install electrical lighting in every corner of your fences making sure that the outside area of your house are well-lighted.
3. One of your dogs should stay inside your house. This dog will discourage the thieves in breaking in your house even if they’re already inside your backyard, and at the same time, the dog serves as your burglar alarm.
4. Always check your gates, doors, and windows if they’re properly closed and locked before going to bed. And check also if all the fence and backyard lightings are all switched ON.
5. Lock the doors and windows of your rooms while you are sleeping.
6. If someone who is selling items like floor wax, cleaning agents, gas stoves safety device, etc, wanted to go in to your house for a short demo, be alarmed because that guy maybe is studying your house for possible “Akyat Bahay” (housebreaker) operation. Don’t ever let them go in to your house.

(2) Don’t disturb the thieves while they’re stealing your properties

However, if the thieves are already inside your house, then here’s what you need to do:

1. Stay quietly where you are. Don’t let them notice you that you are awaken and that you have noticed them already so that they will do nothing harmful to you.
2. If you think you are still safe to move in your room because they haven’t entered yet your room, then try to send text messages to your friends and let them call the police.

For now these are the things that I learned through my reflection on what happened. If you have thoughts about it, please share it to us by posting a comment in our comment section of the live version of this article. Visit the live version of this article here >>> “Akyat-Bahay Thieves in Southern Leyte”

Feeling Not Well yet

Everytime I remember what happened last night, I always feel the fear.

And I really wanted to cry not because my wallet that contains cash, credit card, ATM card, debit cards, and IDs was stolen by those housebreaker thieves, but because my two beloved dogs and two cats were killed. I really missed them. And while writing this article, the tears are flowing from my eyes down my cheeks and dropped into my lap.

These dogs and cats were not just our pet, but they were really parts or members of our family.

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