Cebu money shop 100 meters from police station robbed

CEBU CITY—Three armed men took at least P150,000 in cash and other valuables from a money remittance outlet just 100 meters  from a police station in Cebu City in a holdup as the shop was opening at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

Two shop staffers had just opened the shop, called Palawan Express Pera Padala, a remittance outlet of Palawan Pawnshop located on A. Soriano Street just across from the SM City Cebu mall in the Mabolo district and around 100 meters from the Mabolo Police Precinct, when two men entered along with a female customer who had been waiting outside the establishment.

Cashier Jovan Angot, 22, said in an interview that he was still in a squatting position to open the lock on a small door leading to the staff booth when the two men pulled out guns and pointed the weapons at him, fellow worker Grace Flores, 24, and customer Aster Nebasa and demanded that they turn over their money and personal effects.

Angot, who was the one bringing the cash and the laptop computer of the company, said he was so shocked that he turned over all his things to the robber, who wore a dark baseball cap and sunglasses. The two other victims followed suit.

One of the robbers then ordered the three to enter to the staff booth, he said, adding they hid below the counter and stayed there until they were certain the robbers had left.

Investigator PO2 Felix Tuñacao said a witness saw the robbers running toward an adjacent street where they were picked up by an accomplice waiting on a red motorcycle.