A married man in the northern Philippines has admitted to the police that he stole nine underwear, a cell phone, charger and contact lenses from a young woman.

Investigators identified the suspect as Philip Datu, a resident of Bengcag village, in Laoag, northern Philippines.

The unidentified victim reportedly called police for assistance after the theft of her items.

Datu returned the loot during the investigation and admitted to stealing the young woman's property. The victim was a Manila native, but now resides in the province.

The suspect did not provide details why he stole the victim's panties.