Robbers prey on 2 tourists in Manila

MANILA, Philippines - A Swiss and an Iranian tourist lost cash and valuables to robbers in separate incidents in Manila yesterday.

First to report at the General Assignment Section of the Manila Police District was Iranian Arash Ashmadi, 31, who was allegedly robbed by a taxi driver he flagged down near Pier 15 of South Harbor.

He told police the unidentified driver sped off with his bag, which contained valuables and an undetermined amount of foreign currency, when he was about to board the vehicle, which he remembered was a “Pioneer” taxi.

Hours later, Thomas Schmidiger, 28, a Swiss national, reported the loss of his cash and valuables to a group of men and women.

Schmidiger, billeted at the Las Palmas Hotel in Ermita, told police he was walking along Remedios Circle in Malate when the suspects befriended him and invited him to have a couple of drinks.

He said he felt dizzy and fell asleep and when he woke up the suspects were already gone and his money and valuables were missing. He named the suspects as Martin, Donnie, Michelle and Danilai.

MPD officer-in-charge Chief Superintendent Roberto Rongavilla said he will create a tourist police team in compliance with the directive of Philippine National Police chief Director General Raul Bacalzo to earn back the foreign tourists’ trust and confidence in the police after the hostage fiasco two months ago.

The team will specifically render service and provide security to foreign and local tourists in Manila, Rongavilla said.