Western Union branch inside Cebu mall robbed of P200K

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Two men, one of them armed with a knife, robbed a Western Union branch inside a crowded mall in downtown Cebu City late Thursday afternoon.

The robbers fled with at least P200,000 that they took from the cashier of Western Union on the ground floor of Elizabeth Mall past 5 p.m.

SPO2 Edgar Galado, Theft and Robbery Section (TRS) investigator, said the crime was reported to them at 6:25 p.m.

Galado said one of the robbers went inside Western Union and pointed a knife at Libie Jade Vequilla Alkuno, branch manager, who was manning the cash registry, because cashier Joannes Dawn Cardoza went to the toilet.

The other robber was standing outside Western Union, he added.

The robber handed a bag to Alkuno and ordered her to put money inside, said Galado.

Alkuno complied. After the money was placed inside the bag, the robber casually left with his companion.

Galado said Western Union had no closed circuit television cameras, which would have helped the police in identifying the robbers.

He added the employees failed to alert security guards detailed at the door of the mall, less than 20 meters away from Western Union branch.

The guards could have stopped and apprehended the robbers especially that they were only armed with a knife, said Galado.