A bungling thief unwittingly revealed his identity when he drank water while ransacking a store in the Philippines.

CCTV footage shows a masked man rummaging through drawers and desks in a fire supplies shop in the Jaro district of Iloilo City at 1:45 am on September 20.

Thirsty from his burgling, he then headed to the establishment's kitchen, this time raiding a refrigerator full of food.

He briefly lowered the cloth mask covering his face to take a swig of cold water. Upon seeing the security camera filming him, he flashed his middle finger defiantly, apparently unafraid that his identity had been revealed.

The suspect is believed to have entered from the roof of the building, using a ladder to sneak into the store's second storey.

He made off with 2,000 PHP (34 USD) and a cellphone, the police report said.

Owner Benzer Cordero: 'The burglar was dumb enough to remove his face mask while he was stealing a drink. Now there is enough evidence for the police to catch him.'

A manhunt for the alleged thief is still ongoing.