2 taxi robberies, 1 modus operandi

MANILA, Philippines—Authorities on Monday warned the taxi-riding public to beware of a new modus operandi used by thieves after two women were robbed separately by a taxi driver who stopped by the roadside and stepped out of the vehicle on the pretext that he wanted to check the tires.

The robberies which took place on two consecutive mornings happened in Mandaluyong and Pasig cities, according to the Eastern Police District (EPD).

Probers suspect that only one man was behind the two incidents as the license plates of the taxicabs were identical except for the last number which may have been altered.

According to PO3 Gregorio Acbay, Rona Erese, a fast-food chain assistant manager, was robbed at knife-point of her cash and personal belongings after the still unidentified taxi driver claimed that he needed to check the vehicle’s tires just before they entered the Boni-Edsa Tunnel on Pioneer Street in Mandaluyong City around 4:30 a.m. on Monday. He then ordered her to alight from the cab as he sped off toward Boni Avenue.

The other victim, Filipino-Indian Sundeep Beesla, lost at 6:35 a.m. on Sunday her medical equipment, personal belongings and her friend’s land title to the driver who stopped on Pasig Boulevard, Bagong Ilog, on the same pretext. When he got back in the vehicle, he pointed a gun at her, said PO3 Ryan Escorial of the EPD’s Criminal Investigation unit.

Beesla got into a tug-of-war with the cab driver when she initially refused to let go of her bag. When she managed to unlock the door, she let go of her bag and ran out of the cab as the taxi driver fled.

In both incidents, a white Toyota Vios was used by the suspect. In the Mandaluyong robbery, however, the victim told the police that the license plate of the vehicle was AAI 9466, while a witness in the Pasig heist said that the cab’s license plate was AAI 9468.

The policemen told the Inquirer that they would have to verify with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board if any of the plates were registered with the agency. Escorial said that it was possible that only one man was behind both robberies.

Escorial reminded the public to stay vigilant when getting into taxicabs and “to inform your relatives of your whereabouts and the license plate of the taxi you are riding [in].”