Paul Matthew Tanglao, 21, spent more than a week in jail for stealing a PHP31 (US$.62) can of corned beef.
He was finally released yesterday after posting a PHP2,000 (US$40) bail, a whole lot more than the value of the item he stole because he was hungry.
READ: Supermarket employee arrested for stealing PHP31 can of corned beef
According to Inquirer.net, he only had PHP20 in his wallet the time he was arrested, not even enough to get home to his house in Pembo, Makati.
Caloocan Bishop Pablo David called for Tanglao’s release in a Facebook post earlier this week. “Already one week in jail for stealing a can of corned beef worth 31.50 php! It was 5:45pm; he hadn’t had lunch and he was hungry. Please, for heaven’s sake, let’s get this man out of jail!” David said.
But the troubles are not yet over for Tanglao.
Media reports have yet to identify the supermarket and they have not dropped charges against their employee.
According to Inquirer, the Metropolitan Trial Court will set a hearing on the theft case in the next few weeks.
