Transport firm robbed of P120K

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Two men armed with a knife and handgun casually walked into the office of a transport company, declared a hold-up, and walked away with P120,000 cash from the drawers and cellphones of the employees.

This was how “simple” or “planned” the robbery at Susie Tours, Inc., at Soriano Subdivision in Brgy. M.H. del Pilar in this city at around 4:55 p.m. Saturday. Susie Tours is a transport company with passenger vehicles plying to and from Iloilo City to the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan, Iloilo and Antique province.

The speedy heist was not even noticed by the next-door tenant occupying the same building where the Susie Tours was located. Although near the main road, some considered the area secluded.

According to Joemarie Osunero, employee of Susie Tours, the two men walked into the office and poked their weapons at the office workers. The robbers then swept clean the money from the drawers and took six mobile phones of the five employees, including that of Osunero.

As the robbers prepared to leave the scene, they threatened the employees that a grenade will be hurled on the latter if they make a noise or come out of the building to report the incident. The employees alleged they did not see any getaway vehicles.

According to PO2 Aljun Delgado, Molo Police investigator, the employees have yet to identify the robbers through the police rogue’s gallery. He said the office or even the building has no closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras and no security guard either.

As this developed, the Iloilo City Police Office is yet to determine if the suspects in the latest incident has something to do with the P200,000 robbery of a Western Union branch in the city, more than a month ago.  – THE FREEMAN