Nakakatakot.
Filipinos are really innovative when it comes to crime, instead of trying to make money the normal way—which is to work.
Last month my sister's friend Jade Bernas was shot twice in the stomach and once on the left arm as he resisted carnappers who hijacked his Starex van with members of his family aboard, along C-5 before dawn.
Bernas, 41, survived.
At around 5:15 AM, Jade was with his wife Lian, 42, their two children, houseboy and driver, on their way home to Greenmeadows after arriving from a holiday abroad.
Upon reaching the corner of C-5 and Ortigas Avenue in Barangay Ugong, a white Toyota Hi-Ace van bumped the rear right portion of the Starex, prompting Bernas and their driver to alight from the car to inspect the damage, according to the
Inquirer."Four armed men came out of the Hi-Ace and pointed guns at Bernas, but he resisted and shouted for help, prompting one of the robbers to shoot him repeatedly. The robbers left Bernas lying on the ground and commandeered the Starex van with Bernas' wife and children and their houseboy still on board, police said.
"They dropped off Bernas' family members on Edsa at the corner of Estrella Street in Makati City, and drove off in the Starex followed by the Hi-Ace.
"Efren Gereda, who was driving his jeepney, saw the badly wounded Bernas and rushed him to the hospital, the investigator said."
![hyundai_starex_3]()
Now car thieves strike again, this time on Edsa
By DJ Yap
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 13:23:00 07/16/2010MANILA, Philippines – An American national and his Filipino wife lost their sports utility vehicle and P2.5 million in cash and valuables to armed car thieves who attacked them on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in Mandaluyong City early Friday morning, the police said.
The robbery occurred at 1:10 a.m. at the intersection of Edsa and Shaw Boulevard, investigators at the Mandaluyong Police Station said.
Frederick Allan Boutcher, 63, and his wife, Priny Mosquito-Boutcher, 52, had just arrived from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and were traveling in an Isuzu Crosswind, plate number XJY-499, when a red Toyota Innova bumped the rear of their vehicle repeatedly, the police said.
At first, Rogelio Maullan, 32, Boutcher's stepson, who was driving the car, ignored the bumps and did not alight from the vehicle, but the Innova overtook and cut in front of them, prompting him to stop, the Eastern Police District director, Chief Superintendent Francisco Manalo, said.
At that point, five men armed with short firearms got off the Innova and forced Maullan out of the car. The men then commandeered the vehicle with the Boutchers aboard, Manalo said.
The robbers dropped the couple in Galas, Quezon City, where the victims reported the robbery at the nearest precinct, Manalo said.
Taken from the Boutchers were $2,500 in cash (about P115,000), three cellular phones, several pieces of jewelry including the couple's matching 22-karat wedding rings, five suitcases containing their bank passbooks, a land title, and other valuable bank documents.
Manalo said the heist had virtually the same modus operandi used on the family of Jorge Bernas, brother-in-law of the Luli Arroyo, in Pasig City last month. The Bernas family had also just returned from the United States and were attacked along C-5 Road.
Manalo said he has instructed the Mandaluyong police to work on the sketches of the robbers quickly. The robbers were in plain clothes and did not have their faces covered, he said.
Manalo also said he went to the Southern Police District to coordinate efforts in tracking down the carjackers. He said they believe the robbers pick their victims by observing arrivals at the terminal.
Source![isuzu_crosswind]()
My friend's third grade son was also riding a Starex van last month with just the family driver, on their way from school. On Shaw Boulevard, a man tried to open the car's door. Luckily it was locked and the boy was unharmed.
What are we dealing with here? 1) The Starex van is known as a "hot" car in the carnapping industry because it is easy to sell. Even though their van wasn't so old, my friend decided to sell their car for their safety.
2) Avoid C5 and Shaw Boulevard especially at odd hours.
3) Be aware that carnappers may be waiting for passengers coming out of the airport, so try to book a flight that doesn't arrive in the early hours of the morning.
4) Lock your doors at all times and do not stop even if somebody bumps your car. Just step on the gas and run for your lives.
5) Shouldn't cars have a tracking device so that once stolen you can see its location?
6) Can't local police run some decoys on these roads and just shoot to kill the robbers? We seriously don't need these bastards in our country. Not funny anymore.
7) President Aquino, please do something.
8) You are probably better off using an older car than the latest SUV or van.
9) It might help to enroll in
Krav Maga, a self-defense class that teaches you techniques in defending yourselves from all kinds of evil.
10) Pray, pray for the safety of our children, our families, or country.
