Another salesman "robbed"

CEBU, Philippines - A salesman has claimed that two men on a motorcycle robbed him of his money along V. Rama Avenue, barangay Calamba Monday afternoon.

Police however suspect that Dante R. Cabatuan, 40, was really robbed.

Cabatuan, a resident of Tulay, Minglanilla and who works as a salesman for Pepsi Cola Bottling Company, Inc. alleged that two armed men robbed him at 4:30 pm while he was waiting for a co-worker.

He reported the incident to the San Nicolas Police Station an hour later.

Cabatuan said he was standing on the roadside facing an internet café while waiting for a fellow salesman when two men riding on a black XRM motorcycle approached him.

He said the passenger got off the vehicle and pointed a gun at him while declaring a hold-up.

Cabatuan claimed he handed over the P28,193 he was holding. It was not clear whether the money was placed inside a bag.

He said the two men sped off and claimed he did not get the plate number of the motorcycle.

Senior Police Officer 4 Reynaldo Origenes of San Nicolas Police Station said they are not inclined to believe the allegations.

"Among tan-aw is 'tulis me.' Mahibaw-an man jud na nimo kung nagsulti sa tinuod," Origenes said.

He said the police immediately went to the alleged crime scene to interview people in the area but the police said nobody noticed anything.

"Kanang 4:30 sa hapon, daghan pa nang tawo diha, busy gud na nga area. Kay kung tulison ka, inig sibat sa tulisan, musinggit man jud ka na gitulis ko. Nya wa man jud daw commotion nahitabo atong mga orasa," the police officer said.

Origenes said yesterday morning, one of the officials of the company took Cabatuan back to the police station for another questioning.

Origenes said the company official himself did not buy Cabatuan's story.

However, Cabatuan insisted he was indeed robbed and that he was not creating a "rob me" scenario, Origenes said.

Chief Insp. Bonifacio Garciano, chief of Theft and Robbery Section of the Cebu City Police Office, said they are doing a thorough investigation on these subsequent robbery incidents involving salesmen.

"Amo nang gipalawman ning mga reports kay ang mga tulisan karon nang-target na pud og mga salesman," Garciano said.

He said some of the victims might just be riding on the issue and report that they were also robbed.

Garciano said Cabatuan, so far, is the fourth salesman who has claimed to have been robbed in this city alone since January.             Salesmen bring with them P20,000 to P30,000, Garciano said. — (FREEMAN)