Comendador: Robbery cases still not alarming

CEBU - Despite the surging cases of robbery in the city, Cebu City police director Patrocinio Comendador allayed fears that robbery incidents in the city have already become alarming.

“Kon tan-awon nimo ang statistics, dili pa g’yod ni maisip nga alarming. Mora lang ni karon og midaghan ang krimen kay mingaw man sa miaging semana,” Comendador explained.

Yesterday, four unidentified armed men robbed the passengers of an SM City-bound passenger jeepney and divested them of their cash and other valuables at the North Reclamation Area, Cebu City.

The police immediately responded near the Blessed Sacrament Church in barangay Tejero but none of the robbers was arrested as they hurriedly disembarked from the PUJ and fled towards the interior portion of the area.

Five of the victims, who were brought to the Waterfront police station, were identified as Charles Lawena, of Pelaez St.; Margie Pacional, 23, of Basak-San Nicolas; Mary Ann Culva, 35, of Mambaling and Leonardo Rosales of barangay Tejero, all of Cebu City, and Rebecca Roxas, 37, of Bulacao, Talisay City.

The robbers made off with cash, jewelry and cell phones of the victims all amounting to more than P20,000.

It was learned that the four robbers rode the jeepney pretending to be passengers, but when the vehicle reached the vicinity of the Blessed Sacrament Church, they announced a hold-up and pulled out revolvers and knives.

The other day, 30-year-old Hazel Batiquin of barangay Luz fell prey to an unidentified robber while she was on board a passenger jeepney at the corner M.J. Cuenco and Gen. Maxilom avenues.

The unidentified robber took Batiquin’s shoulder bag containing more than P8,000 cash and other personal belongings.

Meanwhile, a Korean and her lady friend lost their laptops and other valuables to unidentified burglars who broke into their rooms at a condominium along D. Jakosalem Street while they were out last Monday afternoon.

Chung So Choi, 19, claimed that her laptop, digital camera and wrist watch, which are all worth around P71,000 were stolen while Juanita Ugsimar of Barili, Cebu said her laptop worth P40,000 was also missing. – Rene U. Borromeo/WAB (THE FREEMAN)