Phantom…’ guy loses bag, not humor
Many victims would not have found the experience funny, but Jordan Simon Pollard did.
An understudy for “The Phantom of the Opera,” the longest-running Broadway musical now playing at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), Pollard was one of the more recent victims of the notorious “Salisi Gang,” whose modus operandi is to distract their potential victims while stealing their valuables.
Pollard, 22, an Australian national who is also part of the play’s musical ensemble, appeared at the Manila Police District General Assignment Section at noon Thursday to report that his Prada bag was stolen on September 30 while he was in a restaurant near the CCP Complex.
The actor, the understudy for the role of Raoul in the musical, reported the robbery two weeks after it happened only after viewing the security video, but found humor, not anger or hatred, as a result of the experience, said Senior Police Officer 2 John Cayetano.
Pollard was at the Harbor View strip around 6:15 p.m. when four thieves took his bag, which was placed under the table.
Inside the bag were an iPad, a bottle of hair straightener, a bottle of moisturizer and various other items, the report said.
Article continues after this advertisementCayetano said the footage on the security video pointed to two women and two men as the perpetrators.
Article continues after this advertisementOne of the male suspects, the police official said, was a cripple.
The policeman said the video showed that the cripple who was seated closest to Pollard “used his leg to get the bag.”
Pollard said he did not immediately file a complaint because he wanted to view the bar’s security video of the incident first before going to the police.
Cayetano said Pollard also cracked jokes, while he was in the police station.
“He showed us costumes worn by the cast in the musical which were on his cell phone while he was at the station. At no instance did he show that he was mad,” he added.
Pollard said that he just wanted to report the crime to serve as a warning to others who are not careful about securing their possessions, Cayetano said.
