Snatch from fear!
Yesterday morning when I got to our building someone mentioned that the fast food restaurant there was held up early in the morning but that nothing was taken since the culprit was caught.
There have been different versions of the stories going around from yesterday till today on how the man was able to get in into the store but one thing that was consistent was that the culprit is a vendor-helper in one of the stores also in the building. One story I heard was that the Manager of the fast food store went to their office which was separate from the store when suddenly a man came from the ceiling and jumped him. The man had a knife but the Manager fought and called out the guard outside the door. When the guard opened the door, he was going to shoot the guy but the Manager told him not to anymore. So they brought him instead to the police station which was just nearby. Another story says that the guard noticed some movements in the kitchen area and noted that the man, who was not in uniform was trying to open drawers and vaults so he and the Manager apprehended him and there was some fight and chasing but the man could not leave the building since the doors were still closed and they caught him.
So although there were different versions on how it really happened, the culprit was really caught and brought to the police station. It would have been so easy to press charges since he was caught in the act but I heard that the management did not file any charges despite prodding from the police so that the man was already set free in the afternoon. So I asked “why?” and one said that the owner said that nobody was hurt anyway and that the man may have a family to support and that his family and friends might retaliate and hurt other personnel if they filed charges. What??? The owner was scared of what his family and friends would do the personnel to retaliate! But wouldn’t that encourage him to do it again since he knows that he got away? What if he did it again and one of us is harmed??? We don’t even know what the man looked like to be on guard! Well, they are not thinking on those line for they honestly believe that someone would retaliate for him if they filed charges since it has happened in the past that vendors there united and hurt one of the guards. They are scared on what would happen next in they push through with the case.
I think in most other countries, they don’t even have to weigh things to decide on the course of action they are going to take. Once a criminal is caught, then he is brought to justice. Somehow they are secured that the police would be able to protect them from future threats but that’s not the case here so that you think twice, thrice even more before considering pressing any charges.
I remember a few months back in our neighborhood, the Barangay Tanods (those roving the neighborhood for protection) caught a criminal element while his companions got away. They pressed charges on the one caught and he said that his friends would get back at them. Then early one morning, while one of the Tanod was preparing for the day, a man in motorbike shot him at close range (there were still blood on the street when I passed it). He died on the spot and no one could do something, they were stunned! The man in motorbike he even said that he would also get back at others. Now some people don’t want to go to our place, afraid that they too might get killed!
My mom tells me not to go home late since there are a lot of bad elements, of course I try to come home early (well not really that early since I usually go home at 8:00 pm but there are still people on the street when I walk home) but there are times when I just can’t help it. I used to be afraid of dogs only when I come home late but now I really am alert while walking home late at night. Yeah even if I go on with my routine, I know that somehow deep within I’m afraid too! In fact I’ve already cut some of my walking from the office and I look at people when I take my ride and avoid FX that have lots of male passengers, sometimes even getting off in the middle of my ride if I feel real uneasy. Gosh, sometimes I feel like I’m nuts to be suspicious of people but I reason that it is better safe than sorry… still one can’t really let fear take control of one’s life, otherwise you’re doomed!!! Ahh, this has definitely got to go away!
There have been different versions of the stories going around from yesterday till today on how the man was able to get in into the store but one thing that was consistent was that the culprit is a vendor-helper in one of the stores also in the building. One story I heard was that the Manager of the fast food store went to their office which was separate from the store when suddenly a man came from the ceiling and jumped him. The man had a knife but the Manager fought and called out the guard outside the door. When the guard opened the door, he was going to shoot the guy but the Manager told him not to anymore. So they brought him instead to the police station which was just nearby. Another story says that the guard noticed some movements in the kitchen area and noted that the man, who was not in uniform was trying to open drawers and vaults so he and the Manager apprehended him and there was some fight and chasing but the man could not leave the building since the doors were still closed and they caught him.
So although there were different versions on how it really happened, the culprit was really caught and brought to the police station. It would have been so easy to press charges since he was caught in the act but I heard that the management did not file any charges despite prodding from the police so that the man was already set free in the afternoon. So I asked “why?” and one said that the owner said that nobody was hurt anyway and that the man may have a family to support and that his family and friends might retaliate and hurt other personnel if they filed charges. What??? The owner was scared of what his family and friends would do the personnel to retaliate! But wouldn’t that encourage him to do it again since he knows that he got away? What if he did it again and one of us is harmed??? We don’t even know what the man looked like to be on guard! Well, they are not thinking on those line for they honestly believe that someone would retaliate for him if they filed charges since it has happened in the past that vendors there united and hurt one of the guards. They are scared on what would happen next in they push through with the case.
I think in most other countries, they don’t even have to weigh things to decide on the course of action they are going to take. Once a criminal is caught, then he is brought to justice. Somehow they are secured that the police would be able to protect them from future threats but that’s not the case here so that you think twice, thrice even more before considering pressing any charges.
I remember a few months back in our neighborhood, the Barangay Tanods (those roving the neighborhood for protection) caught a criminal element while his companions got away. They pressed charges on the one caught and he said that his friends would get back at them. Then early one morning, while one of the Tanod was preparing for the day, a man in motorbike shot him at close range (there were still blood on the street when I passed it). He died on the spot and no one could do something, they were stunned! The man in motorbike he even said that he would also get back at others. Now some people don’t want to go to our place, afraid that they too might get killed!
My mom tells me not to go home late since there are a lot of bad elements, of course I try to come home early (well not really that early since I usually go home at 8:00 pm but there are still people on the street when I walk home) but there are times when I just can’t help it. I used to be afraid of dogs only when I come home late but now I really am alert while walking home late at night. Yeah even if I go on with my routine, I know that somehow deep within I’m afraid too! In fact I’ve already cut some of my walking from the office and I look at people when I take my ride and avoid FX that have lots of male passengers, sometimes even getting off in the middle of my ride if I feel real uneasy. Gosh, sometimes I feel like I’m nuts to be suspicious of people but I reason that it is better safe than sorry… still one can’t really let fear take control of one’s life, otherwise you’re doomed!!! Ahh, this has definitely got to go away!
posted by elizabeth | 11:46 PM
3 Comments:
Fear is one of the tricks employed by the devil and those under him.
It restrains people to do what is good and right.
so very true rolly!
I will pray for your safety, Beth. Wouldn't want anything to happen to you.
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