The Signs of Hard Times

The daily news of bus hold-ups and bank robberies plus cellphone & bag snatching makes me paranoid. I've seen and experienced first hand what one guy or a gang of thieves desperate for money can do.

One time my husband, his former classmate and I ate at Aristocrat Restaurant in Roxas Blvd.(it happened years ago, am gonna write it just the same). While we were eating, I didn't notice a group of people sat on the table near my chair. Then, a waiter pointed to a 20 peso bill under our table, we bend down and got it. In a matter of seconds, my black Guess bag is gone. We alerted the guards but one guy (probably just a bum) told us that they went inside the nearby casino. My husband and I hurriedly went to the casino, looked for them (even though I didn't see their faces but my husband saw them) around the gaming tables even in the restrooms. But they're nowhere in sight. We just reported it to the nearest police sub-station. I frantically called all the banks to report my stolen credit cards and atm cards. Inside my bag is my pager, perfume, shades and a newly bought bracelet. Sayang, I should have just use it that time (but I don't want my husband to know that I bought a new one). Good thing my new Nokia 8810 is in my pocket.

After 2 weeks, I've read in the paper that this "salisi" gang were caught in the same resto, victimizing a returning ofw from Japan. She also lost her bag with all her "lapad". The policemen chased them and there's actually a shoot-out. But her bag was never recovered. They're all in jail at the Quirino police station. I asked my husband to go with me at the station. We went there, saw all the bags they have stolen. Looked among the bags, but mine wasn't there. Maybe they even sold it. My husband was trying to remember and ascertain that those guys were the ones who sat behind me at the resto. When we are about to file the formal complaint, there comes a group of big-bellied policemen from the WPD UN Avenue Station as I've heard them, introducing themselves. The robbers' (the gang, which actually includes a pregnant woman) faces all lit up. They were beaming with joy as if they saw their saviour. The policemen pretended to be taking their pictures but actually whispering something to them. They were glancing each other with their mischievous smile. When I told my hubby what I just saw, we went out of the station. He said there's no use filing a complaint then after all the complainants left, they will just release the gang. Because they're protected by the same people who are supposed to protect us...Tsk. tsk... I have posted my not so good experience in my college classmates' yahoo group but I still want other people to read this story.

Another story, my sis and her hubby stopped at a pancit malabon resto at Kalayaan Avenue near the Quezon City Hall to take out some pancit. There's no other customer inside. While they're waiting for their order, two armed men who alighted from a motorcycle, poked a .45 caliber gun on them, asked for her bag and my BIL's wallet. They gave it right away. All the staff have run away from the kitchen. The robbers just walked outside the resto and rode away on their motorbike. They didn't bother to file for a police report on the incident. Same reason as mine.

My other sister was inside a bus on her way home from school, when they reached the South Expressway, armed men announced a hold-up. My sister tried to remove her earrings and rings but one of the guys pointed a gun on her, asked for the jewelries. They collected all the wallets and jewelries (no cellphone yet that time) and put in inside a knapsack which they got from a male student (whom they also robbed of the shoes he's wearing). The poor guy had to walk with only his socks on upon alighting from the bus. The robbers jumped out of the bus when they reached Alabang. As simple as that...

A good friend was also robbed while she's having her teeth and braces fixed inside a dental clinic somewhere in Quezon City. The robbers pretended to be clients waiting for their turn. I couldn't imagine how she reacted when it happened with all the dental gadgets in her mouth. The policemen were of no help either when they reported the incident.

So when these things are happening everyday, I am not at ease when I'm out, either in the mall, bank, resto, riding a public utility vehicle or even inside beauty salons...I just pray harder for safety when we (my kids, hubby) are all out of the house. I believe He is our only recourse, the True Protector.