The footage showing members of the so-called “Laglag Barya (Drop Loose Change)” gang doing their modus operandi inside a passenger jeepney and victimizing a female passenger is yet another perfect example of how social media is a valuable tool in the campaign against criminality and abuse.
Through stolen video footage taken by a hotel chef who goes by the alias of Astig Tao (anonymity is handy for whistle-blowers of small and big-time criminals), police were able to identify the perpetrators as Isidro Dabudo, Apolonio Tolibas and Rodel Gaban.
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The three supposedly came from Mindanao, said Chief Insp. David Senor of the Cebu City police’s Theft and Robbery Section (TRS) and had been in and out of jails after posting bail for their crimes.
This “Laglag Barya” gang may be a national syndicate because a video also posted on Pinoy Radio Online’s Facebook account showed the gang victimizing a couple inside a fast-food outlet in Edsa.
The footage came from the outlet’s security camera. Early last week, another video taken from a fast-food outlet’s security camera in barangay Mabolo, Cebu City showed another criminal group, the
Salisi Gang, victimizing a male customer.
The footage was taken by Kenny Tiu, who showed it to police in hopes that they would arrest the suspects. But footage alone in this case wasn’t sufficient because the police was unable to identify the suspects.
In these cases, private citizens with their cellphone cameras and commercial outlets with security cameras and security guards did their part in identifying and taking action against these lowlifes but it’s not without risk.
In Astig Tao’s case, he had to carefully position his cellphone camera so as not to invite suspicion and eventual retaliation by the “Laglag Barya” gang. Dabudo, who served as a lookout, is large enough to tackle a mid-sized person who would dare to go up against them.
One cannot also expect them to engage in robbery without weapons like knives or even guns, though they may have a harder time when entering malls. So what can one do to protect themselves from these criminals?
A buddy system would be useful with one serving as lookout in order to avoid being distracted by these perpetrators. It would also be better to wear bags with straps so the robbers won’t be able to grab them as easily, though they can cut it with their knives.
Yet it still pays to take practical action. It would be better for traditional and social media to reproduce a checklist provided by the Philippine National Police that contains useful tips on spotting and avoiding these criminals.
Knowing them is winning half the battle. With Netizens doing their part in reporting these crimes to the police, the men and women in uniform have no excuse not to go after them.