This happened this morning (January 6, 2014). It was a typical Monday morning and I was on my way to the office. I boarded a jeepney at St Joseph (near Ever Gotesco Mall along Ortigas Extension) and seated next to a lady sitting near the entrance. Four men went inside the vehicle and one of them sat beside me. My bag has pockets outside where I usually put coins so I won’t be opening my bag when preparing my fare. I was giving my fare to the guy next to me but he didn’t take it. The lady next to him took it and gave it to the person in front. Then suddenly one of the guys seated across the lady in black said “May dumi ka sa damit.” pointing at the sleeve of the lady. At this point the man sitting beside me sat beside the lady identified to have “dumi” on her sleeve. The girl just shrugged it. Then the man across continued saying “Mukhang ice cream. Ay dura pala. Akala ko ice cream.” I think at this point he is expecting the lady to panic because of the word he used.
Then he talked to the lady beside him saying that he is from Davao and just went here in Manila just recently. I don’t know if the lady is an accomplice or what but I just don’t trust her either. I think they are distracting all of us so that our attention will be focused on them. I read a similar incident in Facebook a few months ago so I held on to my bag and stared at the bag of the lady in black. I was staring at it because I know someone will be taking something inside the bag as what the FB post said and I would like to be as vigilant as possible.
The men expected the lady to panic and that the spit on her sleeve will create a commotion inside the jeepney. But the lady was calm and just took out some tissue papers and wiped her left sleeve. They were agitated when they noticed that we are all clinging at our bags and no one is alarmed. Nobody wants to create a commotion among the passengers. We just stared at them and took notice of their actions. Then before the jeepney can reach a gas station one of the men said “Para.” The jeepney driver hesitantly pulled over and the four men went off. (I was thinking that if the four men will continue their act, the driver will pull over the gas station for the safety of his passengers.) The (I think) lady accomplice stayed inside the jeepney.
After a few seconds the driver told us to check our belongings. Fortunately everybody is safe and nothing was taken. I was still skeptical on the lady whom one of the robbers talked to. I just thought she is one of them but I just kept quiet.
Upon checking on the girl beside me, one of the men put the spit on the lady’s sleeve even before they got inside the jeepney. This is to create distraction and commotion so that they can grab anything they could.
I also noticed that one of them was carrying an empty backpack. I suppose this is where they put what they can take from the passengers.
Mag-ingat po tayong lahat.
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