Three overseas Filipino workers (OFW) lost valuable possessions to a supposedly helpful woman yesterday, Nov. 8, as they made their way home from Kuwait to General Santos City.
A CCTV footage of a hotel in Pasay City showed the suspect, who had introduced herself as a fellow OFW named Gabriel Rut, carrying the OFWs’ belongings out the building where they stayed.
Cash, cellphones, chocolates and other pasalubong were stolen.
Waiting for their next-day flight to General Santos City, the OFWs had met Rut at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2, who invited them to an affordable place to stay in the meantime.
“Siya iyong nag-suggest na maghanap kami ng hotel na ma-afford namin para magchip in, chip in na lang kami,” one of the victims said in an Unang Balita report.
Before they left the hotel to eat at a mall, Rut told them to leave their belongings behind, one OFW said.
However, Rut suddenly disappeared as they were eating, saying that she had to withdraw money from an ATM machine.
“Habang kumakain kami parang nakaramdam na kami ng pagdududa kasi wala pa siya. Parang kinabahan na kami,” one OFW said.
The OFWs were livid and in despair upon finding their hard-earned belongings gone.
One OFW said she was supposed to use P14,000 to pay for her children’s education.
Another remarked that she earned her money from cleaning houses in Kuwait.
“Yung pera pinaghirapan ko iyon. Naglilinis ako ng buong bahay nila para makasahod ako tapos iyon lang [ang mangyayari],” one OFW said.
The third OFW was looking forward to a joyful reunion with her family in the Philippines.
“Dugo’t pawis ko iyon eh. Two years and six months ko iyong pinaghirapan. Pinaghandaan ko talaga iyong pag-uwi ko. Mag-enjoy lang siya pero hindi man natutulog iyong Diyos,” she said.
The salisi modus operandi involves distracting a victim and then stealing his or her money or possessions while s/he is oblivious.
Photo credit to the owner
