Lady trader robbed of ₱400,000

A 77-year-old businesswoman was robbed Sunday of some ₱400,000 worth of cash and jewelries by five suspected members of “Budol-Budol” gang after attending a Mass in Pasay City.

Salvacion Calamba, hardware store owner, and resident of Primero de Marso St., Barangay 107, Pasay, said the suspects forcibly took her ₱300,000 worth of jewelry and ₱90,000 cash.

Calamba did not able to get the names of the suspects – three women and two men aged 25 to 30.

Senior Police Officer 1 Joel Landicho, case investigator, said Calamba was about to get home after attending Mass at Santa Clara Parish on Burgos Street at 10 a.m. when two suspects – a man and woman in their late twenties – approached her.

The two suspects introduced themselves only as friends of her daughter and started a pep talk, Landicho said.

Calamba was lured to sit at the backseat of the female suspect’s car where she saw another female cohort and their driver. The suspects told Calamba that they were going to buy wholesale hardware items from her.

Moments later, another woman entered the car and pretended that she would buy galvanized iron from Calamba. However, the suspect said she had a large amount of bill so she asked Calamba to change her ₱1,000 bill.

At this point, the suspects started mauling and slapping her. They then took her jewelries and cash from her clutch bag.

The suspects dropped Calamba on a street in Intramuros, Manila, around 3 p.m. where she called up her family and asked for help.

Probers said they are coordinating with the Manila Police District for the apprehension of the suspects.