Passenger calls Patrol 117, helps nab 2 pickpockets

MANILA, Philippines - Parañaque City police arrested two suspected bus pickpockets after a concerned passenger called the emergency hotline Patrol 117 of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) yesterday.

In a report to DILG Secretary and Patrol 117 Commission chairperson Ronaldo Puno, Patrol 117 executive director Marcos Cabauatan Jr. said Henario Flores and Gary Junga took the wallet of a sleeping passenger in a Sucat-bound Lipad bus at about 3:24 a.m. yesterday.

Another bus passenger, John Henry Santos, witnessed the incident and called Patrol 117 to report it. He then followed the suspects as they alighted from the bus and transferred to another bus on the opposite lane.

The Patrol 117 duty operator noted the description and location of the suspects then relayed the information to the Parañaque Tactical Operation Center. Parañaque Police Community Precinct (PCP) 3 policemen, armed with information from Santos, arrested the two suspects, who are awaiting charges of theft, pickpocket and robbery.

The Emergency Patrol 117 is a hotline number persons may call in cases of emergency or to request police assistance. – Cecille Suerte Felipe