TWO FRESHMEN dormers and a sophomore were robbed of their laptops in the waiting shed in front of Cervini Hall about 8:40 pm Tuesday.
John Rovie Abarado (I BS MIS), Sher Antonette Go (I BS CTM) and Criselle Ann Santiago (II AB Comm) were surfing the internet in the waiting shed when a man approached them and took their laptops. The man also took Abarado’s cellphone.
The man fled in a getaway car parked near the waiting shed. The three dormers ran and immediately alerted the guard in Cervini after the incident, but the robbers got away.
“Decent-looking”
Abarado was visiting the NBA website on his two-week old laptop when the robbery occurred.
“May dark green na car na nag-park in front of the waiting shed (There was a dark green car that parked in front of the waiting shed),” he said. A man alighted from the car, which drove away to the direction of the Ateneo High School, Abarado said.
A Security Office report described the man as about 5’8” tall, twenty-four years old, fair-skinned, muscular, and decent-looking.
Abarado said the man lingered around the waiting shed area for about 15 to 20 minutes. When the dark green car returned, the man pounced on the three dormers.
“Bigla siyang sumugod sa akin, tapos binatukan ako (He suddenly attacked me, then hit me on the back of the neck),” Abarado said. “Sabi niya, hold-up ‘to, huwag kayong sumigaw, kung hindi masasaktan kayo (He said that this is a hold-up, don’t shout, or else you’ll get hurt).”
The robber then got the three dormers’ laptops, plus Abarado’s cellphone. Security officers blocked all exit points right after the victims alerted the Cervini guard, but the robbers were not caught.
No internet
“If there was internet sa (in the) dorm, I wouldn’t have gone outside,” said Go, who was checking for prices of flight tickets to Cebu during the incident.
There was no Wi-Fi internet access in the dorm last Tuesday because of the ongoing construction, said Residence Halls Director Timothy Gabuna.
Gabuna said that the parents of the victims couldn’t believe what happened. “Nakakahiya sa parents (It is very embarrassing, especially to the parents),” he said.
This was the first time in years that a robbery incident happened inside campus, said University Physical Plant Administrator Leoncio Miralao.
Vigilance
Because of limited information on the incident, Miralao said he is not optimistic that the robbers will be caught.
Campus Security Head Sgs. Avelino Guzilan said, however, that University security officers would be more vigilant of cars going in and out the campus. Security guards will also stay until 10 pm, an hour longer than the usual 9 pm, to ensure better campus security.
Miralao also urged students to be more vigilant. He added, “Security will be more effective with the cooperation of the community, with everybody helping out.”
