Woman loses P1.1M in cash, jewelry to robbers

MANILA, Philippines—Five suspected members of a gang of robbers preyed on a 59-year-old restaurant patron and stole more than P1.1 million worth of cash and jewelry in Manila.

Three men and two women allegedly took off late Monday afternoon with a designer leather ladies’ bag containing the valuables after distracting and telling Remedios Robles, of Annapolis Street, Greenhills, San Juan City, that her car was being vandalized.  This type of robbers is called by cops “salisi” gang because they use tricks to distract their victims to be able to steal their valuables.

In her complaint before the Manila Police District (MPD) theft and robbery section, Robles claimed that the crime happened at around 1 p.m., Monday, inside a restaurant along MH Del Pilar Street in Malate.

Robles and her husband, Gonzalo, had just finished lunch at the restaurant when five persons approached their table informing them that they had seen somebody scraping off the paint from their car.

When Robles and her husband turned to look at the direction where their car was parked, a member of the group quickly grabbed the lady’s bag and fled.

Robles claimed that she lost P32,000 in cash; a 24-karat heirloom necklace worth P1 million; a jade pendant encrusted with diamonds worth $1,000; a Blackberry phone worth P35,000; two US passports; and several credit cards.

Operatives of the MPD theft and robbery section are conducting follow-up operations for the identification and arrest of the robbers as well as the possible recovery of the stolen items.