A chocolate store in Tacloban City drew online attention after it turned a shoplifting incident into a lighthearted contest for its customers and social media followers.
According to reports, a cashier at Chocolate Republic Tacloban noticed a man picking up several chocolate bars from the shelf and placed them inside his bag.
“Our cashier noticed his suspicious behavior, and the man failed to hide the [chocolates] — probably because he panicked,” the chocolate store was quoted as saying by GMA’s Balitambayan on Thursday, November 13.
The man then returned the bars one by one, pretending to examine them while glancing toward the cashier. When other customers approached, he abandoned the attempt and left the shop empty-handed.
The store later uploaded CCTV footage of the incident and opted to respond in an unusual way.
Store launches guessing game
“As owners, instead of focusing on the negative side, we decided to make light of the situation by hosting a fun game for our Facebook followers — guessing how many chocolate bars the man tried to put inside his bag,” it said.
Those who provided the correct figures won the chocolate bars that were nearly taken.
“This post isn’t meant to shame anyone, but to remind fellow business owners to stay alert and vigilant at all times,” the chocolate store said.
The incident earned attention on Reddit and Facebook, where someone claimed to have been part of the contest.
“[Eight] bars po ang correct answer… isa po ako sa winners ng pa-contest nila,” a Facebook user wrote, sharing a picture of the chocolate bar she won.
“Kahit mahirap po ang buhay, ‘wag natin kalimutan gumawa ng kabutihan, ‘wag na ‘wag tayo gagawa ng masama,” another Facebook user commented, referring to the shoplifting attempt and how the store turned it into an online contest.
“Feeling ko [eight pieces] ‘yung chocolate. Pero kuya, mabuti hindi ka nagpadala at nangingibabaw pa rin ang takot at kabutihan sa puso mo. Sana this Christmas, marami kang chocolates matanggap,” another user wrote.
While there are no specific laws for shoplifting, it is considered theft under the Revised Penal Code, which defines it as the taking of personal property belonging to another, without the latter’s consent, with intent to gain, and without violence against or intimidation of persons or force upon things.
