Thieves on motorbike snatch delivery rider’s cellphone

Thieves on a motorcycle robbed a Grab delivery rider of his phone while he was stopped at a traffic light in Malate, Manila, according to Oscar Oida’s report on “24 Oras.”

Mark Anthony Tirados was at Mabini corner San Andres when he was approached by the motorcycle. Upon getting near, the thieves grabbed Tirados’ phone from his bike and took off.

“Eh, hindi ko naman akalain na gagawan nila ako nang hindi maganda kasi tanghaling tapat po ‘yun. Hindi ko ine-expect na may gagawa ng gano’n,” Tirados said.

The victim said he was caught by surprise, but tried to catch up to them on his bicycle.

“Pero hinabol ko naman ‘yun hanggang makarating ako ng Remedios, natatanaw ko pa. Kaya lang hindi na talaga kaya kasi bike ako, motor sila, eh. Hindi ko na inabutan talaga,” Tirados said.

He added that he feels overwhelming sadness over the incident as he already has money worries.

“Paano ka ibili ng cellphone kasi ‘yun ang source of income naming mga Grab rider. ‘Yun lahat po pumasok, nag-negative,” he said.

Though one of the suspects was later arrested, Tirados could not retrieve the stolen phone.

For its part, the Manila Police District (MPD) said they were expecting such incidents to occur when the coronavirus pandemic hit.

“Ine-expect na natin ‘yan nung nagkaroon ng pandemic, ano, maraming nawalan ng trabaho, [may] mga kababayan tayong hindi nakakapasok,” Police Brigadier General Rolando Miranda of the MPD said.

“So in-expect din namin na meron magsasamantala na pag kumalan na ‘yung tiyan nila wala na sila kung hindi gagawa at babalik ng kalokohan,” he added.

Meanwhile, netizens who learned Tirados’ story gave him a motorcycle and a cellphone, among others.

“Nag-ambag po sila sa cellphone ko tapos binigyan po ako… ng motor po. Sobrang pagsasalamat ko nga po sa kanila kasi po natulungan nila ako nung August 6. Talagang nag-ambagan po sila, napakabait po nila,” he said.

The MPD said that it will intensify its patrol operations. — Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA News