Na Hold-Up Ako!

July 31, 2010, the last day of month proved to be an unlucky day for me. I started the day waking up at 5:00 am to be ready for my class at the Asian Institute of Management. I arrived at the Greenbelt 1 parking area at 7:00 am. I rested for 30 minutes inside my car. I slept at 12:00 midnight after I was packed up at 9:30 pm from my taping for the new ABS-CBN teleseries. I ordered hotcake and coffee at the Mc Donalds resto before I went inside our lecture hall.

While in the past four saturdays, the lecturer came in 30 minutes earlier, the new lecturer for that day was 10 minutes late for the 9:00 am schedule. Our subject matter for the day was Agency in the Trust Operations and Investments Management Course that I am taking. The lecture ended 30 minutes earlier. I texted my daughter that I was already proceeding to UP Malcolm Hall to pick her up.

I decided to have lunch with my daughter at the Baliuag Grill and Restaurant on Visayas Avenue. I texted my wife if she might want to join us for lunch. After a few minutes, she was already at the Resto.

Our original plan for the afternoon was to bring my daughter to the saloon for her nails cleaning. While she would be in the parlor, I will go to my dentist for my teeth cleaning. However, we decided to change our plan: we will bring our daughter to the dermatologist on Sct. Rallos and I will see my dentist on Sct. Gandia. Later we would meet at the SPA on Sct Torillo. My teeth cleaning was done but the dermatologist was very busy. We decided to go the SPA.

After the SPA, my wife and my daughter went back to the Derma clinic and I decided to pass the time away at my favorite internet cafe on V. Luna Road. We agreed to meet at the parlor also on V. Luna for my daughter’s nails cleaning later.

I wanted to go to the internet cafe after I realized that I left my laptop and my globe tattoo broadband at home. The parking area of the internet cafe was full and I had second thought if I will just look for another internet cafe. But, I saw a so vacant space on the opposite side of the road.

When I entered the internet cafe, it was full but the owner told me a computer will be available in two minutes. I decided to wait. I was already on the net, I opened my e-mails. I wrote the details of the WI TRIBE wifi bill on my cell phone. It was my main purpose so that can pay it at the BDO branch in SM Fairview later. My brother Riki texted me if I could forward to him the email of our sister about the details of her travel schedule this August. After that, I was disturbed with a pat on my back, I shouted, “Ano ba?”, thinking it was still the boys who were playing on the computer, but I was shocked to see a gun pointed at me and the guy was saying it was a hold up! The guy had already taken the cellphones of the two kids on my left side as he moved to get my cellphone which I placed in between my legs. Another guy, much taller that the one who took my cell phone positioned at the door. He also had a gun. The hold up happened at about 5:25 pm and lasted for only 5 minutes. But, that 5 minutes was the longest five minutes in my life. I was thinking about my wife, my two daughters. “Wala pa akong apo. Sana Panginoon, walang lumaban sa amin para hindi kami babarilin”, I was talking to my self aloud. The internet cafe was dark only the lights from the monitors serve as the illumination such that there was no way we can recognized the two guys although they did not wear masks.

When the two hold uppers finally left, all of us inside the shop could not move as we were all afraid that they had not left yet and might open fire at us. A big male customer had the courage to peep outside. When he declared that the hold uppers were gone, I left 40 pesos on the counter and immediately run towards my car. I went straight to the parlor, my wife was just negotiating to park as I parked beside them.

I embraced my wife and my daughter as I told them about what happened. I was very disturbed. The first thing that came into my mind was to call up Smart to have my number blocked. But, I could not remember the numbers of Smart! The people in the parlor, my wife and my daughter were of no help! Nobody remembered how to call smart. I went inside my car, I looked for a Smart bill, I know there is a contact number in the bill. I was able to have my cell number blocked.

A lady seated beside my daughter in the manicuring area told me that she resides in house opposite the building where the internet cafe is. I told her, I parked in front of their apartment. She told us that the internet cafe and the laundry shop on the building are frequently held up!

Quickly, I decided to go to SM Fairview to visit the Smart Business Center and get a new sim card but with my old number. When I passed by the internet cafe, there was already a police car patrol and an ABS-CBN Radio Patrol Mobile. I wanted to make an U-turn to help in the investigation but I mind was telling me, enough is enough!

After a few minutes, I was listening to DZMM, when suddenly a flash report was announced, it was Ricky Velasco who was reporting on the hold up that happened. The internet cafe was identified as the Links are Us Internet Cafe on Regine Angeli School Building V. Luna Road. The owner, one identified as Mrs. Halili said that the hold up men were armed with a .38 revolver and a .45 hand gun. The man who got my cellphone was the one with a .45 gun. That man had a backpack bag which was placed in front of his body which was where he placed his loot. The other guy had a hand grenade aside from the .38 revolver. A customer lost his gold neck lace. I was thankful the guys did not see my UP college ring.

I was able to get a new sim card with the same old number. I went to Nokia to buy a new cellphone. I wanted to get the same unit Nokia E63, but just as I was about to buy it, I realized the customers around me were busy buying Nokia C3 which has the similar features as that of the E63 but for a cheaper price. I got the Nokia C3. Then with the savings I bought a new My Phone for my sun and globe pre-paid.

Until now, the incident is still flashing back in my mind. Salamat Bro Jesus, buhay pa ako at cellphone lang ang nawala sa akin! Sa inyong lahat, pag text ninyo sa akin, pakilagay ng names ninyo para malagay ko sa phonebook ko.