Robbed

During my college days. I often heard stories about classmates being held up in jeepneys and FX taxis or people falling prey to motorcycle-riding men who grabbed their cell phones or bags. But I thought I was invulnerable to such street crimes. I believed such things happened only to the weaklings, the nerd-looking, the frail and the fragile and that my big build and tough looks ensured my safety. Until I was robbed one Saturday morning in July inside a jeepney.

It was a scene straight out of grisly action movies and crime stories I read on the papers where suspicious-looking men take advantage of clueless, hapless passengers. Only this time, I was one of the victims.

I was going to the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex on Roxas Boulevard to catch a screening of the Cinemalaya Film Festival. Since it was the morning rush hour, I took the first jeepney bound for Divisoria that was about to leave the terminal on Buendia Avenue in Pasay City. I sat on the right side near the exit so that I could easily get off when I reached my destination. There were around 12 people on board. A quick look told me there were more men and just two women. The space between seats was packed with goods and bags making movement difficult. I was looking forward to a nice treat and too preoccupied with planning my activities for the rest of the day to care to look at the other passengers.

Just about two minutes into the trip as we approached Vito Cruz Street on Taft Avenue, the man across my seat said something about surrendering our belongings. I could not remember his exact words, but I knew instantly that we were being held up and being threatened with harm if we resisted.

I looked toward the front of the jeepney and saw two men with drawn knives ordering an old man seated beside the driver to give them his valuables. There were four of them, all heavily tattooed and looking menacing. One of them seemed to have come straight out of bed in his boxer shorts.

I was a bundle of nerves. I froze and held my breath as they shouted their demands to surrender our belongings or have our throats slit. When one of the robbers turned to me, I handed him my spare Nokia phone (one that cost just a little over P1,000) without hesitation. My other phone—the more expensive unit—I was able to slide down my back pocket. Just as luckily, my wallet was safely placed in my other back pocket.

The whole incident happened so quickly that I did not even notice if there were other vehicles that passed us by or if there were policemen in the area. The robbers, who seemed to be either drunk or high on drugs, quickly got off the vehicle and scampered away.
Giving vent to their anger, the passengers heaped verbal abuse on the poor driver who was himself probably too shocked to proceed.
I felt sorry for the other passengers who lost their bags and whatever valuables they carried. But I myself felt fortunate for being too lazy that day to lug my computer and camera.
I heard the other passengers said the robbers reeked of alcohol. They noted that other passengers, probably sensing trouble, had alighted at the Buendia station.

Right after I got off the jeep and, still in a state of disbelief, I phoned home to tell my family about the incident. My mom kept asking if I was okay. I told her I was fine and assured her there was nothing unusual in a metropolis where criminals roam. I could even afford to laugh when I told her that all I lost was a cheap cell phone I brought with me precisely for such occasions.

In all the 10 years I have stayed in Metro Manila, it was the first time something like it happened to me. I thanked God that not one among the passengers was physically harmed and that it happened in broad daylight. I can only imagine how things would have turned out differently if the robbery happened at night.

There are a number of lessons I learned from that harrowing experience. One is that when you take a jeepney or a bus, you should not bring valuables especially if you are traveling alone. Two is to follow your gut-feel if it tells you trouble is ahead and get off the vehicle as soon as you can, just like what the other passengers did. Three is that it pays to bring an extra phone or wallet that you can surrender in case of a hold-up. (Aside from cash, cell phones apparently are the favorite targets of hold-up men these days because they are so easy to sell.) And finally, don’t resist or try to haggle as it could provoke the robbers to violence.

Whenever I take a jeepney these days, I automatically scan the faces of my fellow passengers to see if anyone might be up to no good. I have become one paranoid commuter.

Emman Cena, 26, works as an editorial assistant in the Inquirer.