Tourist drugged in Ermita, loses P.5-M

A Japanese tourist lost half a million pesos in cash and belongings to a Filipino couple that escorted him from the airport to his hotel room in Ermita, Manila, police said yesterday.

Toshihiko Ogata, 40, of Tokyo, Japan reported the incident to police last Sunday night shortly after regaining his senses. He had been drugged.

Ogata told SPO1 Jaime Bunag of the Western Police District’s General Assignment Section that he arrived in the Philippines at about 11 p.m. last Sunday, and was welcomed at the airport by a certain Ana, whom he had earlier met in Thailand. Ana was accompanied by a certain Rolly, whom the Japanese said he met for the first time.

Ogata said the couple accompanied him from the airport to his room at the Executive Hotel in Ermita, Manila, where they drank beer.

Ogata said that after a short while, he felt dizzy and fell asleep.

When he woke up, the couple was gone and so was his cash amounting to ¥900,000, his three cellular phones, passport, credit cards and airline tickets.

According to General Assignment Section head Chief Inspector Arturo Paglinawan, the couple had likely put something in his drink then waited for the Japanese to fall asleep before taking his cash and belongings.

Paglinawan also discounted the possibility that the Japanese was victimized by the notorious "Ativan Gang" since the group operates on tourists not familiar with them.

"The Ativan Gang usually victimizes tourists whom they meet for the first time by chance. In the case of Ogata, he already knew the girl from a meeting abroad," Paglinawan said.

The tourist has furnished police with cartographic sketches of the two suspects. – Nestor Etolle