Police probe cabbie’s robbery tale

A TAXI driver claimed he was held up by three men at gunpoint in Mandaue City. After he was divested of his earning, the robbers locked him up in the trunk…wait, he was left alone in the driver’s seat.

The inconsistent statement of 52-year-old Eric Abanmonga, driver of JTY taxi with plate number GXM-565 prompted the police to further investigate his robbery claim, PO2 Richard Cabillo, investigator of Casuntingan police station, said.

Senior Insp. Ramil Morpos, deputy chief of the Investigation and Detection Management Branch (IDMB) of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), said there were instances where taxi drivers made up stories that they were robbed after their earnings fell short for their rentals.

Abanmonga told police that three men flagged him down in front of a restaurant in Consolacion town around 10 p.m. Sunday.

The passengers asked to be taken to barangay Maguikay.

The driver said when they reached sitio Sudlon, the three passengers declared a hold-up and later tied his hands and feet with a packaging tape.

The driver said the robbers also taped his mouth to prevent him from shouting.

The driver said the robbers took his earnings worth P3,000.

One of the robbers drove the taxi, Abanmonga said. He said he was abandoned in barangay Tayud, Consolacion town while the robbers escaped using the taxi.

Abanmonga said he untied himself with the help of fellow taxi drivers.

The taxi driver reported the alleged robbery to the Casuntingan police station about three hours after the incident.