A 24-year-old man was arrested after allegedly stealing P150,000 entrusted to him by a co-worker for a bank deposit, police said.

Police Lt. Juan Solares, duty officer at the Eastwood Police Station, said the victim gave the suspect P200,000 to deposit into the victim’s personal bank account.

The suspect failed to report back or answer calls and text messages after leaving for the bank.

“The complainant waited for him to return, but he never came back,” Solares said. “He could not be reached through calls or text messages.”

The victim, accompanied by colleagues, sought assistance from local authorities to track down the suspect at his residence.

During a confrontation at the home, the suspect presented a deposit slip showing that only P50,000 had been deposited into the account.

The suspect admitted to police officers that he used the remaining P150,000 to settle personal debts incurred through online casino gambling.

“It was to pay off my debts,” the suspect told police.

Police investigations revealed that the victim trusted the suspect because they were longtime co-workers accustomed to handling financial transactions.

The parties initially attempted to settle the matter at the local barangay level to arrange reimbursement for the missing money. When those negotiations failed, the victim filed formal criminal charges.