Korean resto loses P77T to two men

CEBU, Philippines - At least P77,000 worth of cash and a gun were taken away by two unidentified men who robbed a Korean restaurant on Salinas Drive, Barangay Lahug, Cebu City Monday dawn.

Authorities said it took the robbers less than a minute to neutralize the security guard and get the money that people nearby failed to notice that something was amiss.

Senior Inspector Allan Rosario, Mabolo Police Station chief, said the robbery appeared well-planned considering how the robbers quickly took the money from the Chuson Galbi Korean restaurant.

He said at around 4:20 a.m. last Monday, when the restaurant was about to close and the security guard was busy turning off the lights inside the restaurant, two men riding a red Honda XRM motorcycle suddenly stopped in front of the restaurant.

The two men, who wore helmets to hide their faces, immediately disembarked, with the back-rider at the same time pointing a gun at the security guard, who was divested of his .38 revolver service firearm.

The man then proceeded to the counter, taking the money and the cashier’s iPhone cellular. The motorcycle driver, who served as lookout, just waited outside. After the robbery, the two men fled towards the direction of Barangay Mabolo.

Rosario said that even the security guard of a nearby establishment did not notice any commotion while the robbery was ongoing, and only knew about the incident when the guard whose gun was taken told him that they got robbed.

Rosario said they are securing a copy of the establishment’s Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) camera footage to help them establish the identities of the two men.

He said they would also seek assistance from other Cebu City Police Office units in their investigation.

Meanwhile, another restaurant on Wilson Street also in Lahug lost at least P50,000 in cash and expensive items when unidentified burglars allegedly  broke inside the establishment.

Sara Mae Matura, 21, a representative of Kaon Ta restaurant, immediately asked for police assistance after finding out last Sunday that their money and some items inside the restaurant were missing.

Specifically, the burglars took a cash box containing P50,000; two Lenovo laptops worth P25,000 each; and a cellular phone worth P1,000, among others.

During an ocular inspection, the police discovered that the burglars gained entry into the restaurant by destroying the door’s padlock. — (FREEMAN)