Pasig traffic enforcer nabs thief

MANILA, Philippines—A traffic enforcer’s quick thinking led to the arrest on Monday of what the police said was a pickpocket who victimized two jeepney passengers, including a fitness trainer, in Pasig City.

A police report said that Roderick Garcia Gonzales, a member of the city’s Traffic Parking and Management Office, was directing traffic on Market Avenue in front of the Pasig City Mega Market when the incident happened at 7:30 a.m. “I was directing traffic when I noticed a man get a cell phone from a woman’s bag as she was climbing up a jeep headed toward Edsa-Crossing,” Gonzales said.

He immediately sought help from another traffic enforcer who chased the thief and arrested him. Apart from Fitness First trainer Ma. Monica Santos’ cell phone worth P36,000, the authorities recovered her cardholder which contained P2,000 and her ATM cards.

The thief, later identified as Ryan Alvarez, 31, was arrested. He was later determined to have also victimized another woman, Hilda Delloson, although they did not find her wallet, which contained P3,000 in his possession.

Charges of theft are set to be filed against Alvarez, who is detained at the Pasig City Police headquarters.—Kristine Felisse Mangunay