J M
- Netizen shares the modus operandi he experienced in a bus while on the his home
- Men spit on his shoulders and tried to distract him with it but good thing he was aware of what they were trying to do
As the prices of basic necessities increased gradually, the modus operandi of criminals out there are getting more and more creative.
Even the things you thought were acts of kindness, turns out to be a tactic to distract you and filch your stuff.
A netizen named David Soterio San Jose shared his experience while on a bus on the his home. He got on a bus going to Mall of Asia. When they reached Kabayan Hotel, he noticed things are getting weird. He heard the driver warn one passenger to keep her cellphone in her bag.
July 18, 2018 was a special day as was it so. However, it was made more meaningful until this happened. First, I just want to give praise to Jesus for this. This was all His doing — he saved me!
Sumakay ako ng bus pauwi papuntang MOA at sasabay ako sa kuya ko to visit a cousin’s wake. So from Kamuning to MOA ang sinakyan ko. Nakaupo ako sa 2nd row, right side of the bus (near the bus entrance). All was well, nagbabasa ako ng card, until we reached a stop near Kabayan Hotel. Nagbaba si kuya ng mga pasahero at magsasakay din. Bago pa man makasakay ang mga sasakay, nagsabi si kuya driver sa ate na nasa unahan ko (1st row, right-most seat ng bus), “Itabi mo na ‘yung cellphone mo.”
Five men got on the bus and that’s when the modus operandi started.
Then, a group of 5 medium-built guys hopped in from the stop. One sat beside me and immediately after he positioned himself, he screamed “shit ano ‘to?” I looked at his right arm to find out what was, and the other guy from the group pointed at my left shoulder. May laway sa balikat ko. Na-modus ako, pakiwari ko. Pero pag kasi nandun ka sa moment na ‘yun, kakabahan ka pa rin.
Fully aware of the situation, David kept calm and did nothing. He kept an eye on the men as he puts his cellphone in his bag. The men were persistent in making him take notice of the saliva on his shoulder but he just let them be.
The culprits thought he was a foreigner because he’s not paying attention to what they were saying. A man tapped his shoulder but instead of looking at him, David pulled out his alcohol and sprayed it all over himself.
When they realized that he was not going to fall for their tricks, they transferred to the seats at the back.
Bumagal na ang oras, it was just a short distance but was the longest minutes of my life. Hindi nila ako tinatananan hanggang sa pansinin ko ‘yung laway. Pero hinayaan ko lang. Eventually, they stopped talking to me. At nag-usap usap sila na in a dialect which I didn’t recognize. Later on, nag-tagalog na at sinabing “baka Koreano ‘to.” Sabay tinapik ako sa balikat ko ng katabi ko. Tinignan ko lang siya. Naramdaman ko ‘yung frustration nila. Binuksan ko ‘yung bag ko para kuhain ‘yung alcohol ko. Nag-spray ako sa kamay at sa balikat. Iniwasan ng katabi ko ‘yung ini-spray ko. Muli nilang hinawakan ‘yung balikat ko at ‘yung batok ko. Pero tinignan ko lang sila. After that, nilayasan nila ako. Lumipat na sila sa likod.
Just when he thought that the men were ready to throw in the towel, a woman suddenly screamed and announced that her phone was taken. Three of the men quickly went down and the remaining two just got off and acted like nothing happened.
When the woman got off the bus to probably report the incident, people in the bus started talking about the incident. He told them that he was supposed to be the prey and showed them the patch of saliva on his shoulder.
David warned everyone to stay cautious and not pay attention to these tactics.
Doble ingat po tayo, guys. Sobrang talamak na talaga ang mga ganitong modus.
Morale of the story: ‘Wag pansinin ang mga kawatan. They aim to distract you and that’s the thing you should not allow to happen. Don’t give them the chance to take advantage of your situation. Otherwise, things may get worse. Learn the art of deadma.
In a message, David clarified that he didn’t think that the conductor and driver were accomplices, unlike what others suggested.
“I felt their sincerity after I told them what happened to me… Ang sabi pa niya, kaya siya nag-warn kay ate na nasa harap na itabi na ‘yung phone. Hindi lang din sila nagme-meddle kasi maaaring balikan sila nito.” he wrote.
