Woman stabbed; robbers fire shots

CEBU, Philippines - A woman was stabbed for pleading for her ID while a mall security guard shot it out with robbers in two separate incidents yesterday morning.

Trying to ask robbers to hand back her company identification card resulted to a woman getting stabbed early morning yesterday at B. Aranas Extension in Barangay Duljo-Fatima, Cebu City.

The victim, Leizle Onting, 27, was on her way to work as a call center agent at Aegis People Support when three men on board a motorcycle used an ice pick to rob her of her sling bag.

The terrified victim immediately gave her bag, but later remembered that her company ID was in it and she needed it to enter her workplace.

She ran after the robbers pleading that they at least give her the ID, but was instead stabbed on her shoulder.

SPO2 Bestilio Dabatos, desk officer Mambaling Police Station, told The FREEMAN that one of the two back riders poked an ice pick at the victim and declared a hold up.

Residents of the area, who heard Onting’s cry for help, rushed her to the Cebu City Medical Center. She is now out of harm’s way.

Elements of the Mobile Patrol Group and the motorcycle cops immediately conducted a hot pursuit operation, but to no avail.  

Shootout

In another robbery incident, a guard of a mall exchanged fire with robbers, who victimized two Korean nationals.

Kim Hyun, 23, and Pyun Soo Hyun, 22, were held up by two motorcycle-riding men, who were reportedly armed with an Ingram machine pistol.

The two men just got off a taxi at the Cebu Business Park, Kim told The FREEMAN, when they were robbed.

The back rider, described to be wearing a full-face helmet, reportedly pointed the machine pistol at Kim’s face and grabbed his backpack.

Kim said that he tried to resist, which prompted the robber to fire a warning shot before grabbing the bag, which contained a Samsung digital camera, an English book and an electric cigarette.

Mall guard Armando Guerra, who heard the gunfire, tried to position himself where he could see what happened when one of the robbers opened fire at him.

Guerra fired back and took cover, but the robbers again fired twice before fleeing. There was no indication that any of the robbers was hurt. 

Several police units rushed to the scene and tried to give chase also to no avail.

Recovered from the crime scene were three empty 9 mm shells and a magazine for the machine pistol that was still full of ammunition.

The two victims were on their way to the mall to have some of their Korean money changed to the local currency.

Kim said he considers the experience as “very special” and it will not stop him from returning to the Philippines in the future.

He arrived in Cebu City on January 9 for an English scholarship program and is set to return to Seoul, Korea to continue his studies as an Architect on February 5.

Inspector Rolando Pinili, CCPO Theft and Robbery Section Chief, said the incident was an “isolated case.”

Pinili said they are currently coordinating with the mall administration to access their security cameras in order to identify the culprits.

Initially, they believe that the perpetrators come from a local criminal gang, he said.

He said that the incident should not be a cause for any alarm, especially to the foreign community.

Pinili said they are also coordinating with the Land Transportation Office in order to locate the owner o the motorcycle used during the robbery after they got hold of the motorcycles plate number.  (FREEMAN)