What to do during and after an armed robbery?

CEBU CITY, Philippines – What do you do in the event of an armed robbery?

When criminals barge into your home or workplace, how you respond to the situation could also determine what happens to you.

Last August 8, six armed men walked into two pawnshops in downtown Cebu City and carted away at leastP14 million worth of jewelry that were placed on display on glass shelves.

READ: 2 pawnshops in downtown Cebu City robbed in broad daylight

The suspects wore helmets and carried long and short firearms to threaten the pawnshops security guards, its employees and the costumers who were around when the robbery took place.

It took the robbers just seconds to complete the heist before they sped off onboard three motorcycles.

READ: Possible getaway vehicle used in Cebu pawnshop robberies found

And while nobody was hurt, the incident that happened in broad daylight left many of the pawnshop employees and costumers shaking in fear.

It was not the first time that a daring pawnshop heist happened in downtown Cebu City.

Safety tips

What would you have done if you were among the employees or customers who were inside these pawnshops when the twin robberies took place?

READ: P100,000 reward offered for information on Cebu pawnshop robberies

Here are some safety tips released by the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7).  Read on. These could save your life.

During an armed robbery:

1. Follow what the robber/s say. Refrain from saying or doing anything rash, like suddenly raising your hand, unless you were told to so.
2. Do not try to disarm the robber or grab a hidden firearm. Keep in mind that the criminals will attack with no second thoughts.
3. Do not panic. Criminals use threats as weapons against their victims. Stay calm. Do everything in your power not to panic.
4. Do not provoke the robber/s. Refrain from saying or doing anything that could offend the criminals. An example of this is staring at them or spiking up a conversation.
5. Do not activate the holdup alarm until they have left. Do not press the alarm if the criminals are still in your house or establishment as you could end up being a hostage when they get trapped by the police.
6. Wait for the police. Follow the robber’s orders and stay where you are. If possible, do not enter the crime scene and wait for police officers to arrive.

After an armed robbery:

1. Do not run after the criminals. For your own safety, do not chase the criminals as they flee from your house or establishment.
2. Find possible witnesses. If possible, make sure that there are witnesses that the police can talk to when they arrive. Or at the very least, get their names, addresses, and phone numbers for the follow-up investigation.
3. Do not tamper with the evidence. Take note of the things that the robber ransacked but refrain from touching or organizing it by yourself.
4. Arrange robbery protocol exercises. For business owners, conduct an exercise to remind all employees on what to do in the event of a robbery without having to panic.

PRO-7 further advises civilians to follow their instincts and to immediately leave when they sense something suspicious. 

Furthermore, they also encourage the public to report suspicious activities to the police.

Safety precautions

Following the twin robberies on Thursday, the police in Cebu City also advised business owners to increase their safety precautions.

Major Philip John Libres, chief of the Carbon Police Station, said that aside from installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera, an alarm system would be beneficial for businesses as it would help police to respond to emergencies faster.

Moreover, he said that stores should have security guards on duty.

City Ordinance  No. 2381 mandates commercial establishments to install CCTVs. And while the need to also install a security system and deploy security guards were not required in the ordinance, doing such would be an added security feature.

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