Vigilant, Screaming Parrot Thwarts Robbery
September 24, 1999

MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Fernando Santos' painstaking training of his pet parrot paid off when a burglar broke into his living room.

Doing exactly what it had been taught to do -- scream when a stranger approaches -- Pikoy the parrot screamed: "Intruder! Intruder!"

The squawks woke up his master who was asleep upstairs early Thursday, while scaring off the suspect, investigator Nanding Escol said Friday.

The suspect, identified as Fernando Alvarez, 22, panicked because of the parrot's outburst and soon surrendered to Santos and his neighbors who rushed to the house to help.

Alvarez, who is unemployed, admitted to police that he tried to steal the bird and sell it, Escol said.

During investigation at Pasay City Police Headquarters, just outside Manila, the suspect pleaded that Santos drop the case because he did not steal the parrot after all.

Alvarez turned to the speckled green bird and asked for its forgiveness as well. But Alvarez called it a weaverbird by mistake, and Santos asked investigators to press charges.

Santos was quoted by a national daily Philippine Star as saying that he had planned to buy a burglar alarm but has now decided to buy birdseed for his 1,800-peso ($44) parrot as a reward.

The parrot, which accompanied Santos to police headquarters, kept mum on the case, Escol said.