Friends -- please be careful. PLEASE PASS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW.
Taxi Hold up @ Robinsons Galleria
September 28
730 PM to 830 PM
It is so hard for me to recollect my thoughts and put this into writing. The incident is still fresh in my mind and I haven't got over the shock of the most horrible, traumatic experience in my whole life. Sleep at this early hour of the morning seemed eluding my being.
I decided to put this into writing to let everyone know to be extra careful in taking a taxi most especially at Ortigas, Robinsons Galleria. Around 730PM my daughter and I, along with some friends left Jollibee, West Avenue Branch after attending the birthday celebration of the daughter of one of my colleagues. We took the MRT from Trinoma towards Ortigas. My daughter and I were already on our own as we alighted the train at Ortigas Station. We left the station and traverse the path going to Robinsons Galleria. Since I am with my daughter and we are quite tired of the long walk, I decided to take a taxi. We hailed a taxi, please take note of this, right in front of Robinsons Galleria that is facing Edsa, I haven't got the plate number since I have no inkling that a terrible thing is about to happen to us.
In my mind, all I wanted is to go home and take a rest since it would be another hectic week ahead of us. I told the taxi driver "Sa Rosario Pasig ho". He turned right then along Ortigas, but just after a few minutes he told us to sit at the left most portion of the back seat as the tire at the other side is not in a good condition. It happened so fast we were just shocked and surprised when the driver suddenly stopped the car and two men went inside the taxi and begun telling us "hwag kayong mag-ingay kung ayaw nyong masaktan. My daughter (who is only 6 years old) and I panicked and screamed as I was trying to unlock the door. One thing caught my attention the car was dilapidated and there was no lock at the door! So there was no way out but pray for God's mercy. I tried calling my God please spare our lives!
Save us from this very frightful situation. The man sitting next to the driver took my bag and began searching for my wallet and took the money which is around 2K to 3K. The man sitting at my right took my Sony Erricson cell phone and I requested if he could spare me my SIM card and he obliged.
While the man right next to the driver was searching my bag, I pleaded and beg them to release us saying "please maawa na kayo lalo na sa anak ko hindi po kami mayaman kunin nyo na lahat palabasin nyo lang kami dito." I remember we went around Julia Vargas passing Valle Verde "umiikot kami doon" then we passed along Medical City turning right towards North Edsa . While passing Edsa, that's along Camp Aguinaldo the other man at my right asked me to remove my rings, my wedding ring and the plain band, that's a gift from my husband. He also instructed me to remove my earrings, I told him "peke lang po ito" but he still took it. He also ask for the PIN number of my ATM (PCI) which I readily gave him but warned them that it is a payroll account and no amount was left on that account and I told them again "hindi po kami mayaman wala pong laman yan". Then the driver made a U turn that's driving along Camp Crame and he stopped the car in front of an establishment which I didn't get the chance to take note coz what concerns me is our safety and our escape from this terrifying situation. The man at my right gave me direction pointing to an alley between the business establishments instructing me to go straight without looking back or else we will be gunfired as they have colleagues on convoy. They gave us Php 100 for our fare back home. The possessions that they took from me are my money, atm, sony ericsson cellphone, watch and my jewelries.
Right at this point I am still having cold feet. The incident is still in my nerves. Only at this time I am experiencing the trauma of the whole incident. Surprisingly my whole demeanor during that time was I am in control of myself and the situation we were facing against our abductors but fear was still at the back of my mind. Iniisip ko ang anak ko. That I should be strong for her. Thank God no bladed weapons or guns were pointed on us we left physically unscathed. I thank God for giving us the chance to live again.
And another one….
Dear friends,
I'd like to share a story of what happened to me last Monday, October 6, which appears to be a modus operandi done by people with criminal intentions.
My purpose for sharing this with you is to forewarn you of such incidents so that you may keep yourselves safe.
At about a quarter to 7 in the evening, last Monday, I left the office and walked out of Tektite building towards San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas, to ride a cab. It was just right after a brief drizzle, so the roads were almost empty of cars and people, although it was still a bit early. I'm accustomed to going home by myself if I feel like it, and riding cabs without any problems for the longest time.
I was walking along Exchange Road in front of our building, and have already crossed Pearl Drive , when I saw a cab slowly cruising along Exchange Road from San Miguel Avenue . It was an old, a bit dilapidated, white (seemingly) Toyota Corolla, with a yellow-lighted "taxi" on the roof, with black scrawl of the taxi's "name" on the side (I didn't notice the name written there). It didn't have any passengers on board and I thought it a bit odd that a passenger-less cab would be coming from San Miguel Avenue towards Tektite at a time when taxis are supposedly full. I was more accustomed to seeing taxis with no passengers coming from Pearl Drive towards Tektite on its way out back towards EDSA or in the oppposite direction of C-5. But it didn't quite get to me. I was tired and needed to go home to rest. I just thought that the driver was trying to get passengers.
I flagged down the slow moving taxi and got in. I said I was going towards EDSA, so the cab went its usual familiar route of rounding the one-way Exchange Road , out to San Miguel Avenue , left to Megamall, and right towards EDSA. I normally would text Tony of the plate number of the taxi, but at that time, I didn't. I normally would check the locks of the car doors, but this time, I only locked the ones on the front and back passenger seats (right side, because I saw that the left side door was locked). Everything was normal, except that it was still going its slow pace. The driver was a slim-built, middle-aged man, with balding head (some hairs on the side), wore a baseball cap and a worn-out but decent white polo jacket.
Near the foot of the flyover towards Ortigas Avenue and EDSA, he requested me in a kindly manner to please move to the other end of the passenger seat because "ma-fla-flat na po yung gulong ko. Spare lang yan e." where I was sitting. I was sitting at the right side of the passenger seat at the back, and promptly moved to the left side. I was even able to converse with him, saying "a ganun ba? Hindi ba delikado yun na tumatakbo tayo sa EDSA na pa-flat na gulong n'yo?" "Hindi po, malapit lang naman po kayo, di ba? Kaya pa po yun," he smilingly said. And, all along, we were slowly moving across the flyover at EDSA. After the flyover, he slowly veered towards the inner side of the yellow lane, but I thought it was because "inaalalayan niya yung sasakyan."
When the taxi crossed the gate of Corinthian Gardens , it further slowed down, and I saw from afar two men seemingly waiting for a bus. When the taxi neared the two men, they gestured towards the taxi, and it suddenly dawned on me that this could be a hold-up. I initially tried getting the lock of the door to my
side open, and was stricken by horror that it didn't budge. It seemed to be jammed (or perhaps child-locked, on hindsight). And the horror of horrors happened. The taxi stopped by the two men, and the driver announced, "'wag ka gagawa ng iskandalo, hold-up 'to," and promptly opened the locked doors on the right side doors of the front and back passenger seats. Everything went fast. The two men briskly went in, one at the front passenger seat, the other beside me on my right. I thought in horror "this can't be happening to me!" All I can scream was "ay! ay! Diyos ko! Diyos ko!" The driver said to the two men, "wag n'yong sasaktan 'yan, mabait si ma'am." And, to me, "pera lang ang kailangan namin. Hindi ka masasaktan kung susundin mo kami." One of the two men was also middle-aged, slim-built, with balding hair. The other was younger, about in his mid- to late-twenties, gaunt-looking, with high cheek bones, with a thick head of hair. He struck me as someone who was taking drugs.
The next two hours were a gruelling ordeal. They rummaged through my bag and got my money, ATM and credit cards, cellphones, and my jewelry, including my wedding ring. They gave back my bag and wallet, though, but without the money and the cards. We spent the hours going around EDSA from Kamuning to Quezon Avenue, stopping at banks where one of the men went to the ATM machines to try and get cash from my savings ATM and credit cards. They didn't let me out of the taxi to do the transactions. While one man did the transactions at the ATMs, the taxi kept going round and round the Kamuning and Quezon Avenue u-turns. They took away my glasses so that I can't see where we're going. But I was familiar with the places we passed - Timog Avenue, Agham Road , near the Napocor area, and back again to EDSA to go to the ATMs for transactions. They pressed me for the PIN of the credit cards, but I didn't memorize them, but gave them some numbers that I'm not even sure of.
Towards the end, they were pissed off because they couldn't get through the credit cards, and I was afraid that they'd do me in. But, in the end, they let me go, the driver warning me sternly, "wag kang lilingon sa kaliwa o kanan. Dire-direcho lang, kung hindi, babarilin talaga kita." They gave a 100 peso bill "pamasahe para makauwi." They dropped me off at Agham Road , near the Philippine Children's Medical Center (formerly Lungsod ng Kabataan) at about 9:30 p.m. There was no one in sight, another light drizzle has already passed.
One of the men accompanied me out of the taxi, pushed me forward, and ran back to the taxi. That's when I ran and ran towards Quezon Avenue until I boarded a jeepney at a stop light. The kindly jeepney driver motioned me to a mobile police patrol when we passed by one, and I finally came to the police precinct
at Kamuning EDSA to tell my tale. I didn't even get to see the taxi's plate number.
They informed me there that that has been a modus operandi of these criminal elements, plying the route of Quezon Avenue , Timog, Agham, even Kamuning areas. They also would give some money for "pamasahe." They would say it's for a sick wife, etc.
I have talked to some employees of a company in the Ortigas area who fell victim to the same modus operandi. Same taxi, same description of the driver, same alibi about a flat tire, requesting the passenger to move to the left side of the passenger seat, where the door's lock is jammed. Same giving of the 100 peso bill at the end of the hold-up. Last December, an employee rode the dubious taxi at SM Megamall at about 9 p.m. and the hold-up was announced when some men boarded the taxi at Star Mall. The person was held-up until 11 p.m. The other, with the person's 6-year old child, boarded the taxi at the Robinson's Galleria and was also held-up by men who went inside the taxi. I myself, boarded the taxi near where I work, imagine that. And, the security guards were just a few meters away.
Please be forewarned of this modus operandi. We're facing harder times, and December is nearing. Take extra care, friends. As for me, I believe it was the prayers that helped me. All throughout the ordeal, my Savior was there, guiding me in what to say or do so as not to aggravate the situation until freedom came. They didn't touch or harm me. Praise God!
God bless us,
Ruth
No comments:
Post a Comment