4 robbery cases in just 12 hours firms, trader, ex-reporter robbed

CEBU, Philippines – Robbers preyed on two commercial establishments, a businesswoman and a former newspaper reporter in a spate of theft incidents that took place in Mandaue City in just one day.

First to fall prey to robbers was Ermitisa Erasmo, 43, of Barangay Jubay, Liloan town who owns a commercial establishment along the North Road in Barangay Basak.

Around 11:50 a.m. last Sunday, Erasmo parked her blue Honda CRV car (YGF 900) at the roadside and got inside her firm to call one of her employees to get the television unit in her office and bring it in her car so she could have it repaired.

A minute after, Erasmo went back to her car to supposedly get her Victoria Secret bag which she placed in the driver’s compartment, but to her surprise, the bag was no longer there.

She said among the items inside her bag were a wallet with P10,000 cash, two high-end phones with combined worth of  P65,000, cellphone charger, several of ATM and credit cards and her driver’s license.

Basak Police Station chief  Police Senior Inspector Genilo Veraque said the victim did not lock the car’s door when she went inside her firm on Sunday noon.

“Kompiyansa kaayo siya kay naa ra gud kilid sa opisina niya gi-park iyang sakyanan busa wa niya gi-lock. Usa ra ka minuto siya nigawas ug pagbalik niya aron pagkuha sa bag, wa na didto ang bag,” Veraque told The FREEMAN.

“Duna’y nakasaksi nga matud pa na’y ni lili sa sakyanan unya nagtuo matud pa ang saksi nga kauban ra sa tag-iya sa sakyanan busa wa nagpakabana,” Veraque added.

Basak police are still in the process of identifying the culprit/s.

At around 1:30 p.m., Jacobs Cebu Lechon located along A.S. Fortuna Street in Barangay Maguikay was reported robbed.

Emmie Roy Yangco, 38, owner of the said establishment, reported to Casuntingan Police Station that the unidentified suspect went inside their firm, approached their store attendant Joralyn Paglinawan and pointed a kitchen knife at her.

The suspect divested her of their store’s earnings worth P5,000 and hurriedly fled towards an unknown direction, Yangco told police. At around 6:25 p.m. that day still in Mandaue City, a former newspaper reporter and her husband were eating inside AA Barbeque in Barangay Banilad when they fell victims to “salisi” gang.

Chris Evert Lato-Ruffolo, 28, who hails from Liloan town, said she and husband Jeff were dining that evening when her brown shoulder bag she placed beside her suddenly went missing.

She said the bag contained her passport, wallet with P6,000 cash and another 300 US dollars, a yellow folder with plane tickets, a checkbook and two ATM cards.

A check on the establishment’s closed-circuit television camera showed two male suspects and another female suspect entering the establishment while the victim and her husband were having dinner.

One of the suspects, wearing striped shirt, then stood beside the table where the victim was seated, took the bag of the victim and immediately passed it on to his female companion standing next to him.

All three suspects hurriedly left the restaurant and boarded on a waiting taxicab which they used as their getaway vehicle.

Finally, a burglar victimized a certain Sagrado Cadiz, 37, who reported to the Subangdaku Police Station that around 7:50 p.m. last Sunday, he discovered that the door at the back of his bar was forcibly opened by a suspect.

The robber carted away his Platinum player with songbook worth P12,000 and one Kevler  amplifier worth P15,000.

Fortunately, one of their guards on duty, Alvin Colongan, was able to chase the suspect who immediately sped off with his motorcycle, leaving behind the stolen items.