Police identified the victims as Sanji Teshima, Japanese and Yogesh Marhawa, 36, Indian, temporarily billeted at room 415 of the Hotel Palu Plaza in Adriatico.
Probers said Teshima, president of the Seaman Union Inc. lost some P373,000 when unidentified men ransacked his office on Arellano street.
Teshima said he discovered the robbery only when he arrived there at around 8:30 a.m. yesterday. He claimed to have left the office at around 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
Investigators said the robbers forcibly opened the office door and the vault containing the cash.
Meanwhile, Marhawa lost P520,000 to unidentified members of an Ativan Gang. He said he was on his way back to the hotel at around 3:15 p.m. from the Bureau of Immigration when one of the suspects approached him saying that the victim could borrow money from him because he was a vice president of Citibank.
Apparently lured by the offer, the tourist invited the suspect to his hotel. The two flagged down a taxi to bring them to the hotel. While on board the cab, the suspect offered the victim a drink, which caused him to fall asleep.
Maharwa said he was alone in his room when he woke up at around 10:30 p.m. with his money and valuables missing.
Meanwhile, a man was killed after being hit by a Philippine National Railways (PNR) train in Tondo, Manila the other night.
Fedelino Sanalila, 30, of 2239 Nava st., Tondo, Manila died on the spot. P03 Luisito Acedoche said the accident took place at around 7:30 p.m. Saturday night between the Abad Santos and T. Mapua terminals in Tondo. – Cecille Suerte Felipe