Junkshop owner resists, hurts robber, recovers loot

CEBU, Philippines - A junkshop owner resisted an armed robbery yesterday and not only managed to protect himself and his P300,000 cash, he was also able to stab one of the four robbers.

The incident happened at 8 a.m. yesterday in front of Pier Marketing along M.J. Cuenco Ave., a junkshop which the victim owns.

Bryan Yap Teson, 36, saw the four men while he was parking his car and sensed something wrong so he took with him a Swiss knife before getting out of the vehicle.

The moment he alighted, one of the four, later identified as a certain Cario, immediately pointed a gun at him demanding for the messenger bag he was carrying.

The bag contained P300,000.

When the suspect signaled for the three to come over, Teson took his chance and managed to grab the gun. Teson then pointed it at the suspect, who ran.

At this point, the other one later identified as Rey Lahoy-lahoy, 35, was opening the door of Teson’s car.

Teson’s 33-year-old sister Donnabel was able to shout and called his attention, so Teson pointed the gun at Lahoy-lahoy, approaching him. 

Lahoy-lahoy went for the gun and a scuffle ensued. Teson had the chance to stab Lahoy-lahoy’s body with the Swiss knife.

SPO3 Rene Serna of the Waterfront Police said the responding policemen took the suspect to the Cebu City Medical Center.

Lahoy-lahoy was treated as an outpatient and was detained at the Waterfront Police Station yesterday afternoon.

Lahoy-lahoy is from Barangay Babag, Lapu-lapu City. His cohorts, the one named Cario, a certain Jomar, and another one identified as Mark Ray Manayon, are also from Babag.

The gun, a .38 homemade revolver with six live ammunitions, is now in police custody.

In a separate incident, unidentified persons burglarized a restaurant and took P3,000 cash and a cellular phone worth P8,000 yesterday in Salinas Drive, Barangay Lahug.

The items were discovered missing from the cashier’s drawer at around 9:30 a.m. yesterday as reported by the restaurant’s personnel officer, Elda Clitar, 40.

Ocular investigation showed that the burglar crossed over a fence and were able to gain entry to the restaurant through a window at the back.  (FREEMAN)