A Japanese national was robbed of credit and cash cards as well as a driver’s license in Makati City late Monday, the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) said.

This is the sixth robbery incident victimizing Japanese nationals reported in Metro Manila since October 19.

Of these incidents, two suspects were arrested on November 8 in Don Chino Roces Avenue, Barangay Pio Del Pilar, while in another incident in Barangay Bel-Air, Jupiter Street, two other suspects were charged with robbery.

Based on an advisory from the Japanese Embassy, a male Japanese national was robbed on November 11 at 9 pm along Antonio Arnaiz Avenue between Makati Central Square and Greenbelt Malls.

The Embassy also said three suspects approached five Japanese nationals who were walking towards Greenbelt Mall and tried to snatch their shoulder bags.

The suspects managed to snatch the bag of one of the Japanese nationals and fled on a motorcycle that was parked along the road.

In a phone interview with the Daily Manila Shimbun, NCRPO Public Information Office chief Maj. Hazel Asilo said two of the three suspects were armed with guns.

Asilo said the victim identified the suspects as “young” but he did not indicate their ages.

“He (victim) reported the incident to the officials of the barangay (San Lorenzo) but when the report was turned over to the (Ayala) police sub-station, he said he didn’t want to file a complaint,” she said.

“For now, since we do not have a complainant, what we are doing is not a hot pursuit. We are identifying if the suspects also live in that area. We are coordinating with the barangay to see if they have CCTV (closed-circuit television) footage of it to check their identities. We still need the victim to identify the complainants,” she said.

Asilo said the Makati police is patrolling the area where incidents are reported to prevent the similar incidents from happening.

“Aside from visibility, if for example, there is an incident like this that was reported, our police return to the areas where foreign nationals (are targeted),” she said. Jaspearl Tan/DMS