Male backrider robs widow in habal-habal ride

A widow was robbed by her fellow passenger while riding a habal-habal (motorcycle-for-hire) in  San Fernando town, south Cebu last Thursday afternoon.

Magdalena Razo, 65, lost P10,800 cash and her gold necklace worth P3,700 kept in her shoulder bag.

Her shopping bag of groceries for media noche  was not spared.

Police said the widow from San Fernando went to the neighboring city of Carcar to shop for New Year’s Eve dinner.

Police said the victim rode a multicab on her way back to San Fernando. To reach her home in barangay Tabionan,  she hailed her neighbor’s habal-habal.

When they were maneuvering the uphill barangay of Upper Tongo,  a man  flagged down the motorcycle and took the seat behind her.

In less than a minute, the passenger at her back grabbed her shoulder bag containing her cash and necklace.

The holdupper  also took her bag of groceries, got off and fled on foot downhill.

The woman almost fell to the ground as the motorcycle suddenly stopped.

In  a phone interview, Insp. Crisanto Abella, deputy chief of San Fernando police station, said  the woman was in a state of shock after the incident.

The driver stopped the motorcycle after the suspect grabbed Razo’s bag  because the woman almost lost her balance.

San Fernando police are still investigating the case. /CORRESPONDENT RHEA RUTH V. ROSELL