‘Yakult ladies’ lose earnings in Marikina holdup

MANILA, Philippines—Two armed robbers got away with around P130,000 in cash from a Marikina City office of the health beverage company Yakult, where they held two employees at gunpoint before locking them up in the toilet around Thursday morning.

Rogelio Jasmin, a sales coordinator, was preparing the money for distribution to 21 “Yakult ladies” or salespersons when the two men, both wearing full-face motorcycle helmets, entered the office on Bernadette Street, Provident Village, Barangay Tañong, around 11:40 a.m.

Jasmin and his secretary Jerry Manumbale were forced into the office rest room as the robbers took the cash from Jasmin’s desk.

PO3 Rodrigo Febreo Jr. of the Marikina police said the office later reported the loss of P130,308 in cash, which represented rebates for the female vendors. Only two of the 23 Yakult ladies employed by the office were able to claim their money since they got to the place minutes before the holdup.

Security camera footage obtained by the police showed that the two robbers—one wearing a red helmet and black jacket and the other a yellow helmet and gray jacket—arrived at the vicinity of the office on a motorcycle some 15 minutes before the heist.

Febreo said they parked the bike on Austin Street, on a spot across from the Yakult office, and apparently took their time, even waiting for a police car to pass. The robbers easily gained access into the office as there were no security guards to stop them.