Police are advising commuters to be alert following a complaint of a Chinese who was robbed by armed men while riding a taxi en route to a hotel in Ermita, Manila, last weekend.
Police Staff Sergeant Dean Mark Regala, investigator of Manila Police District-General Assignment and Investigation Section (MPD-GAIS) advised cab riders to immediately alight when something unusual is already being observed.
It would also be better to get the vehicle’s plate number and driver’s name, he added.
On Saturday, Wei Gao, 27, hailed a white taxi near Tycoon KTV Deluxe in Pasay City to return to a hotel on United Nations Avenue. He said he noticed the slow pace of the cabbie’s driving but ignored it.
After 15 to 20 minutes, two men stopped their cab and barged in, sandwiching Wei at the passenger’s seat.
The suspects ordered the victim to face down as they pointed a sharp object at his neck and declared holdup. They took the victim’s IPhone 7 worth around P50,000, P9,000 cash, and Nike red rubber shoes.
When they asked for his phone’s passcode, Wei pretended that he cannot understand English.
The suspects later dropped him off at the corner of Banquero and Escolta Streets in Binondo.
Regala said the suspects could be in connivance with the driver.
They are now conducting further investigation to identify the robbers.
“We are now backtracking the place of incident. We will check CCTV recordings in the area to see if it was captured,” Regala said. (Ria Fernandez)
