'Girlfriend' leads robbers to Japanese tourist

MANILA, Philippines - A Japanese national who was out on a date with his Filipina girlfriend in Quezon City Friday night was beaten and stabbed by robbers allegedly tipped off by his date.

Japanese national Hiroshi Iwata, 45, lost his branded wristwatch worth P150,000, gold necklace worth P100,000 and his belt bag with cash worth P25,000 and ¥30,000.

Iwata, a visiting salesman billeted at the Diamond Hotel along Roxas Boulevard, also sustained stab wounds near his right eye and chest.

Police Officer 2 Joycelyn Marcelo said three armed men were involved in the incident and believed to be in connivance with Iwata’s Filipina girlfriend, identified only as Mica.

Earlier that afternoon, Iwata and friend Yuji Kai went to a mall in Malate, Manila to fetch Mica, said to be Iwata’s girlfriend in Japan.

After going to other places in Quezon City, the group boarded a taxicab and asked to be brought to a KTV bar along Quezon Avenue to meet another friend.

While inside the cab, the two Japanese men noticed that Mica was frequently sending text messages. The woman eventually directed the cab driver to pull over and the group alighted along Araneta Avenue.

As the group was on the sidewalk, the three armed suspects appeared and approached them. One of the robbers grabbed Iwata, who told Kai to run for help.

As he was fleeing, Kai called up the phone of the friend they were supposed to be meeting with and told the latter what had happened to them.

When they went back to the site where they were mugged, they found Iwata lying on the sidewalk, bleeding. Iwata’s girlfriend was missing.

They brought Iwata to the Delos Santos Hospital, where Kai noticed that Iwata’s cash and belongings were missing.