Arab leads holdup?

Armed robbers, said to be led by an Arab, effortlessly carted away some P.5 million in cash and jewelry after luring operators of a foreign currency exchange shop to the seclusion of their motel room in Malate, Manila, Tuesday night.

The unidentified Arab reportedly telephoned the owner of Marico Money Changer Shop, Julieta Panganiban, and asked for the delivery of the peso equivalent of $20,000 to his room at the Sogo Motel on Mabini street, Malate.

"When the victims came, the Arab invited them in. Then several armed men began coming out of the closet," said Western Police District Theft and Robbery Unit head Superintendent Efren Perez.

Perez could not say whether the Arab was the leader of the holdupmen but the victims said the foreigner merely watched his accomplices divest the victims of cash and valuables. Fortunately for the victims, they were able to bring only the peso equivalent of $10,000.

Aside from Panganiban, 45, her teller Renato Aoanan, 26, and niece Joy Expectation, 16, also lost their money and jewelry.

The three victims were hog-tied using packaging tape and abandoned in the room. The victims said three of the five holdup men were armed with caliber .45 pistols. The Arab was observed to be unarmed.

Meanwhile, more than P100,000 in payroll money was carted off by eight armed men after holding up employees of a garment factory at gunpoint in Quezon City last night.

Lalla Tolentino, payroll clerk of the Cristy Garments factory, said the robbers barged into the factory at 108 Kapiligiran Street, Barangay Doña Imelda, at 6:55 p.m.

Police said the robbers, armed with caliber .45 pistols, held Tolentino and her co-worker Jessie Ramirez at gunpoint and took a bag, containing P101,015 in cash, from the office. The money represented the salaries of contractual workers of the garment factory.-- Christina Mendez