Jeepney passengers lose money, things to young robbers

CEBU, Philippines - Two professionals and a student lost their cash and belongings to four young men who robbed them at knifepoint inside a passenger jeepney at 4 a.m. yesterday.

The robbers, according to the victims, pretended to be passengers before declaring a hold-up.

The victims were identified as Marlon Marzon, 31, Account Executive at Business Machine Corp and a resident of Nasipit, Talamban; Cheryl Quiño, 22, an English teacher at Keppel residing at Lupa, Compostela town; and Rose Ann Georfo, 22, of Tabok, Mandaue City, a college student.

The victims told the police that they were on board a jeepney with a 13C route from the downtown area when four young men boarded the vehicle when it reached Ayala Business Park.

When the PUJ reached the Leyte Loop, an interior portion of the Ayala Business Park, two of the suspects pulled out bladed weapons and declared a hold-up. Their two companions then stood on the vehicle’s step board and served as lookouts.

Marzon lost P1000 cash while Quiño and Georfo lost their shoulder bags, which contained mobile phones, cash amounting to P2,200, cards, and other important documents.

After divesting the victims of their money and belongings, the four suspects immediately disembarked and escaped toward the Hipodromo area.The jeepney’s driver, Alfonso Obedencia, voluntarily brought the victims to the Theft and Robbery Section at the Cebu City Police Office located along Gorordo Avenue just near the Ayala Business Park.

In a separate incident, Dennis Japanilla, 40, awakened around 3 a.m. yesterday only to find his P25,000-worth laptop missing from his apartment in Gonzales Compound, Barangay Kamputhaw.

Ocular investigation showed that the burglar managed to unlock the door of the victim’s rented room. The computer was taken while the victim was sleeping.

Japanilla was awakened around 3 a.m. and noticed that the table where he placed his laptop had been moved closer to the door, the computer already missing.

Two visitors of one of the tenants in the apartment were questioned but were later found not liable. — (FREEMAN)