CEBU CITY—A student was outside a cafe on F. Ramos Street in Cebu City when an armed man approached her and other students.

Ysabelle Baje lost P500 but the trauma was far costlier.

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Despite attempts by law enforcers to scare and catch criminals, the number of robberies in Cebu City had gone up.

Data from the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) showed that 61 robbery cases were reported in the city in September—almost three times higher than the 24 robbery cases reported in the same period last year.

‘Ber’ months

Senior Supt. Royina Garma, Cebu City police director, said the number of robbery cases was expected to increase even more as the Christmas season drew near.

She said it was during the “ber” months, or the period from September to December, when robberies peak.

“These are the times when people are in need of money. Robbers are aggressive,” Garma said in an interview.

Police, she said, were doing everything to prevent, or stop robberies.

Baje went on Facebook to narrate her traumatic experience when she was robbed outside the cafe on F. Ramos Street in Cebu City.

In her Facebook post, Baje recounted how a man approached her and other students outside the coffee shop which, at that time, did not have a security guard on duty.

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A click from death

The man held them at gunpoint and took everyone’s money and valuables.

Baje lost her wallet containing P500 but remained safe as she was able to hide inside the coffee shop when the robber turned his attention on other students outside.

“I thought I was going to die,” Baje said in her post.

“He had the freaking gun so close to me. Just a click away from death,” she wrote.

“So please don’t be careless because even in a coffee shop with a lot of people, you can be robbed,” she said.

“Not only in the jeepney or when walking with friends, or around dark places can robbers lurk,” she added.

Mabolo robberies

Last Oct. 3, Loraine Temple, a call center agent, was gunned down by robbers after she refused to hand over her shoulder bag along Pope John Paul II Avenue in the village of Mabolo.

Data showed that most robbery cases in September took place in areas under the jurisdiction of the Mabolo Police Station.

The trend may continue in October if law enforcers were unable to do more.

Chief Insp. Dindo Juanito Alaras, head of the Mabolo Police Station, said his policemen had a very big area to secure, compared with other precincts.

Manpower lack

Mabolo Police Station has jurisdiction over 15 villages in the city—Carreta, Luz, Hipodromo, Kasambagan, Mabolo, Apas, Lahug, Banilad, Busay, Malubog, Pung-ol Sibugay, Babag, Tabunan, Buot-Taup and Bonbon.

“We don’t just lack equipment, we also lack personnel,” Alaras said in an interview.

Niña Mabatid, Mabolo village chief, said the village also lacked watchmen but planned to hire more next year if its proposed budget was approved by the city council.

Garma, the city police chief, said she believed that the robberies were closely related to drugs since most suspects were usually high on narcotics when committing a crime.

Robbers also resort to stealing to buy drugs, she added.

Garma admitted lack of manpower was a challenge in keeping the streets of Cebu City safe and that police needed the help of the community.

Do not pity

She urged victims to file cases against robbers.

“Let us not forgive. Let not us not pity them,” Garma said.

“Filipinos are easily moved. Robbers are taking advantage of this and they will rob again. This is becoming a cycle,” she added.

Garma said she hoped that Philippine National Police rookies, who would be assigned to Cebu City, would solve the city police’s lack of manpower and help curb street crimes.

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