Businesswoman loses P18M to robbers

A businesswoman lost some P18 million worth of foreign currency to four armed men who held her up in Sta. Mesa, Manila late Monday afternoon.

The visibly distraught victim, Mary Luna, 58, of Sta. Mesa, Manila, could not contain her emotion as she furnished a police artist the cartographic sketch of one of the suspects.

In a state of frustration and desperation, the victim even offered half of the amount she lost to anyone who can provide information leading to the recovery of her money.

According to the victim, she and her son, Jason, 36, withdrew five million Hongkong dollars (roughly P18 million) from the Allied Bank branch in Binondo for a business deal.

As their car, a red Toyota Corolla (UUW-883), was traveling along Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard near Pureza street in Sta. Mesa, two motocross-type motorcycles without license plates blocked their path.

Two men alighted and with guns poked at the car occupants the suspects demanded for the bag containing the foreign currency.

One of the suspects also took the wallet of the victim’s son with cash amounting to P13,000.

Both victims told police the suspects seemed to be aware of the large amount of cash they were carrying at that time.

The suspects, riding in tandem on the motorcycles, sped off toward the direction of Quezon City.

Investigators said the suspects could possibly had monitored the movements of the victims from the time they withdrew the money from the Binondo bank.