CEBU, Philippines - A man, who pretended to be a customer, declared hold-up and carted away over P4,000 worth of cash from the customers of an internet café in Poblacion, Carmen evening last Thursday.
Edcel Apor, owner of the café, told police that an unidentified man entered the café near 10 pm and pretended to be a customer but suddenly took a gun from his waist and declared hold-up.
With his finger on the trigger, the robber then ordered all the people in the café to hand their cash and valuables over to him.
Julito Ares Yke Gumaguil, 32, a teacher of Catmon Daan High School, lost his mobile phone and P4,000 cash to the robber. Two other customers also surrendered their money, which amounted to P350.
After taking the loot, the robber fled the place together with his lookout on board a vehicle.
A hot pursuit operation was conducted by the Carmen police but the suspects remain at large as of press time.
Meanwhile, in the neighboring town of Consolacion, a 36-year old man was arrested for stealing spoons and soup ladles from Fooda Hypermart in Poblacion Occidental, Consolacion town last Friday morning.
Fedelino Patoc Calungsod, a resident of barangay Quiot Pardo in Cebu City, was placed under arrest just as he was about to leave the establishment after security guards Bassilidis Taer and Henry Pepito noticed he did not pass through the cashier to pay for the items.
The cellophane where Calungsod placed the items reportedly bore the logo of the store.
Recovered from Calungsod were 24 pieces of serving spoons worth P714 and 47 pieces of soup ladles worth P2,3387.78.
He was subsequently turned him over to the police with formal theft charges ahead of him. — Niña G. Sumacot/JMO (THE FREEMAN)