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Netizen Posts Experience on “Choosy Holdaper”
By KC Canlas on August 27, 2014
The increasing number of armed robberies in various public transportation is alarming. Just a week ago, we shared with you about a traumatic holdup experience that has been going rounds online, which began with a taxi ride in Makati.
This week, another holdup incident happened in Makati, which was shared by a netizen on Facebook. According to Hormel Delata, the incident happened while riding a jeepney home from work. According to his post, the robbers didn’t take his phone, he said, “The guy just took one look at it and turned away in disgust. He didn’t even touch it. And it didn’t take him more than two seconds to snub it.”
Choosy HoldaperThe increasing number of armed robberies isn’t funny, and like Crazy Jhenny, we don’t suggest that you take the matters into your own hands. This is just created for comic relief. (Image from: crazyjhenny.blogspot.com)
Here’s the full post with rough English translation.
Given the odds, it had to happen sooner or later. So, it was my turn last night.
My colleague and I have been taking the jeep along Pasong Tamo to the MRT-Magallanes station regularly. We used to go at it alone but there’s been a spate of armed robberies in Makati so we set up a buddy system.
10PM or thereabouts and we’re out of the office flagging down a ride while chatting with our security guard. The jeep was almost full when we got on so we weren’t able to sit at the far end the way we usually do, an attempt to preempt armed robbers from taking the strategic seats. We saw a police checkpoint along the Vito Cruz extension near Shopwise and my colleage voiced his usual lament “Ayan na naman ang mga walang kuwentang checkpoint, sa maliwanag naka-setup kung saan naman walang nangyayaring holdapan.” (“Here are the useless checkpoints again, set up in bright areas where no holdup incidents happen.”)
After my colleague got down in front of his condo and my jeep went on its way, I noticed two guys, each on a scooter, tagging behind, but as the jeep turned the corner, they zipped by without even a glance so I finally let my guard down. We were on the homestretch, after all.
Maybe a couple of hundred or 300 meters from the MRT, one guy sitting at the end seemed to be trying to jump out of the jeep while it was still moving. Eh ako concerned citizen, papara pa sana ako kasi baka malaglag siya when this other guy beside me started shouting in an angry voice (kuno) at the driver to keep the jeep running or else he’d kill him. And my mind was going, “Anong kaguluhang ito?” It took maybe 10 seconds to sink in that I was going to be a victim of an armed robbery. (Maybe a couple of hundred or 300 meters from the MRT, one guy sitting at the end seemed to be trying to jump out of the jeep while it was still moving. Since I was a concerned citizen, I even thought of asking the driver to pull over because the guy might fall out of the moving vehicle when this other guy beside me started shouting in a somewhat angry voice at the driver to keep the jeep running or else he’d kill him. And my mind was going, “What is happening?” It took maybe 10 seconds to sink in that I was going to be a victim of an armed robbery.)
The guy whom I thought was about to jump off had pulled out a long, slim blade by then, a beinte-nuwebe, which had me seeing images of it puncturing my bilbil (flabs) a number of times, ugh! The guy beside me (still using his angry-kuno voice) told us to take out our cell phones, which we did. One of the girls had an iPhone and the robber shouted at her, “Tanggalin mo yung security code! Tanggalin mo, papatayin kita!” (“Remove the security code! Remove it or I’ll kill you!”) He also told the girl in front of him to give him her phone. She tried to delay the inevitable but she was forced to surrender her cellphone eventually. Then both guys told the driver to stop and they got down and crossed the road. Our jeep left. When I looked, I saw one of the guys on scooters that passed us earlier heading back towards the two guys and stopping to talk to them. I was looking for a cop, and naturally, there’s wasn’t any officer when I needed one.
I got down at the MRT-Magallanes station and took the train. I just wanted to get home. I was also suddenly quite hungry.
Oh, and my phone? The guy just took one look at it and turned away in disgust. He didn’t even touch it. And it didn’t take him more than two seconds to snub it. To think it was a decent O+ phone I bought from a friend who got it as a freebie from Sun when he signed on for a two-year contract. I even had to have had it unlocked, cost me an additional P300. Ok, ok, it was a year-old-model but what the heck, it was fresh out of the box!
But I won’t be going down the road my friend’s niece took a few months back when armed robbers also got on the jeep she was in. Her phone was a Cherry Mobile. She handed it over, fearful for her life. The robber took it but, to her embarrassment, returned it without a word. She had never felt so insulted her whole life. So the next day, she bought herself a high-end Samsung.
I also wouldn’t be taking a cab to the MRT. Another colleague, just last week, took a taxi in front of our office. They headed down the road for few minutes, the driver stops and three other guys get in. She ended up somewhere in Fairview without her money and her cards. She’s still getting counselling.
These armed robberies have to stop. I have no beef against pickpockets, they are, after all, non-violent. But these armed robberies cause so much vexation to the spirit. And it’s supposed to be safer in Makati.
The growing incidents of armed robberies in various public transportation is alarming, what do you think should be done?
Have you experienced the same thing?
What did you do?
Share it in the comments.
Please stay safe.
