Teacher loses bonus to 'laglag-barya' gang

A teacher lost her Christmas bonus to a gang preying on commuters by dropping loose change Thursday night in Caloocan City.

Superintendent Reynaldo Orante, Northern Police District-District Police Intelligence Unit chief, identified the victim as Gina de la Cruz, 36, a resident of Barangay Longos, Malabon City.

De la Cruz told police that at least five passengers boarded a jeepney she was riding on C-3 Road in Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City at around 6:30 p.m.

But one of them accidentally dropped several coins on the jeepney’s floor as he boarded. De la Cruz and the other passengers helped the suspect pick up the coins. The five suspects – four men and a woman – then hurriedly alighted from the jeepney.

Alarmed by the suspects’ sudden departure, De la Cruz checked her bag and found her P10,500 Christmas bonus missing. She immediately reported the incident to the NPD-DPIU office.

“That’s the modus operandi of the Laglag Barya (coin drop) Gang,” SPO2 Enrique de Jesus said.

De Jesus and PO3 Joel Borda led a team in searching the Dagat-Dagatan area for the suspects and found them walking along Hito Street in Barangay Longos, Malabon City.

The four men escaped but the lone female suspect, Beatriz Sanchez, 45, was arrested and charged with theft at the Caloocan City prosecutor’s office. Bail was set at P12,000 for her temporary liberty.

Police are still hunting the other suspects. – Pete Laude