It’s been a month since you last read a post from me.
The recent updates you’ve seen in this site are videos of the twins (although if you did go to our Facebook page under The Reading Ruffolos you might have seen the twins’ daily developments there including the new books they’ve been “reading”).
So, why a month before this post?
Jeff and I travelled to seven different countries in the last month. It was so much fun! We were on planes, a cruise ship, (all types of) buses, cabs, and tricycles. Our last stop was Cebu in the Philippines where we left the twins with their Grandmother. We arrived in Cebu on March 6, a Friday. We were supposed to just stay there for 2.5 days and leave on a 6:00 a.m. flight to Hong Kong on March 9, a Monday.
But on the evening of March 8, my bag was stolen in a restaurant in Mandaue City where Jeff and I had dinner together. The criminals were three people, caught on CCTV and are members of the so-called Salisi Gang who steals bags, wallets and other possessions of unsuspecting victims who were too busy to notice that their bags which are just placed beside them, were already taken by the minions from hell.
In that bag was $300, about Php6,000, plane tickets, a recent ultrasound report of our then 11-week old baby (baby is now 13-week old), a scarf, my Ferragamo make-up kit containing my favorite Mac and Revlon beauty essentials, and… brace yourself for a major heartbreak: my passport.
I had contractions the moment I found out that my bag was stolen. I feared for my unborn child, who was barely three-month old. It was about 7:00 p.m. on a Sunday night, the following day at 6:00 a.m. we’re supposed to be onboard a plane to Hong Kong. By we, I am referring to Jeff, the twins and my brother, Kevin, who would have spent a 10-day vacation with us in China.
I cried buckets of tears. I could not control myself. Jeff was calm the entire time as he instructed the restaurant staff to bring us to the technical room where we can see the CCTV footages. We saw them there: two men and a women, who were already surveying the entire restaurant for potential victims even before we arrived. We were immediate targets because I am a Filipino with a foreigner (call me judgmental but those criminals thought that we’re awash with cash simply because my companion is a foreigner).
I was very disappointed with Cebu, Mandaue City specifically. I was born and raised in this place; worked here in the last eight years or so; done volunteer works wholeheartedly; and yet, this is what I get in return. I didn’t have faith in the police, honestly. But that night, four of them responded to our call and went to the restaurant. I know I didn’t have any hope of finding my passport. Everything was gone. I didn’t care much about the money. The passport was the reason for my uncontrollable sobs. Without that, I won’t be able to fly with my family. They would have to leave without me as I process my papers and get a new one.
After we said our piece to the police, we decided to just go back to the hotel (where we checked in for the night as we were supposed to have an early morning flight), where everyone of our immediate family was camped out. I cried when I saw my Mom and my siblings. I told them what happened. I was still in denial.
Oh, let’s backtrack a little. Jeff and I stepped out of the restaurant to hail a cab. We only have 300 pesos in Jeff’s wallet because I was supposed to be the one paying for dinner that night, but you already know what happened. Lo and behold, a person from AA’s Barbecue Grill (yes, that place on A.S. Fortuna St. in Banilad, Mandaue City) ran after us and told us to pay the bill. Jeff already told them earlier that we don’t have money to pay. A cab was already waiting for us when the girl insisted that we pay the bill. I told her I don’t need being bugged about a 25-dollar bill when I can’t even leave the country because I lost my passport within their premises. I basically told her to get lost. I would have appreciated a little sympathy from them but they were nothing but kind. I left my phone number with the girl and told her to tell her boss to sue me if I really deserve to pay that bill.
Everything sank in a few minutes later when Jeff and I were alone in our room, trying to make sense of what happened. I sent a message to Atty. Anika Fernandez of the Department of Foreign Affairs, who told me about the “impossibility” of getting a quick replacement. For you see, there’s a mandatory 15-day cooling off period for lost/stolen passport, add 20 days of regular processing time and we’re seeing more than a month of being stuck in Cebu, away from my family. Not to mention an additional week needed to process my Chinese visa. And did I mention that I have my US visa in that passport as well?
I am tempted to curse the criminals who stole my possessions but I don’t want my children to see this post in the future and read about their Mom throwing expletives. But yes, I was fuming mad. I’m using “was” because I am writing this five minutes after midnight, which makes today March 24, a Tuesday, about 16 days after the incident.
Jeff decided not to leave on March 9 to be with me, an emotional, pregnant wreck at that time. My Inquirer editor, Connie Fernandez, helped me in contacting the police. Police told me that I can only get a police report the following day after paying a certain amount at the City Hall. Yes, you pay tax to get a police report. The Mandaue City Police Office was helpful though and Inspector Sanchez along with PO3 Julius Tradio were there to explain things to me and my husband the following day when we came to the Mandaue City Police Office.
Nothing much happened after that. They told me they will be able to get a copy of the CCTV footage from the restaurant on Saturday, March 14, six long days after the theft because the personnel of the restaurant who knows about the nitty gritty of the system is still out of town. Oh well!
I was on the verge of dropping out of my classes because I could not manage to catch up with school responsibilities while trying to calm down my nerves. Thankfully, one of my professors has been more than considerate with my situation and allowed me to submit one requirement on a later date. (I sent her an email explaining my situation and attached a copy of the police report.)
My friend, Lis Baumgart, who also experienced a similar incident shared to me about her feelings toward people who seem to trivialize the case of people, like us, who are/were victims of this criminals act. We both agree on two major points: (1) we don’t need people who tag us in status messages over social media making jokes about the situation or give us names for the very basic reason that the incident was, is and will never be funny; and (2) we don’t appreciate people who say “that’s why I’m very careful with my things” because, heck, we were careful too but the thieves were just very quick and one second that we turned our attention to something else was all the chance they need to grab our things.
I don’t cherish this experience but… I am thankful for this chance of being a victim of unscrupulous individuals. Jeff and I both shared the same feeling that one day in the distant future, we will look back to this day and we will remind ourselves that we have become stronger as individuals and as a couple because of one fateful night that has changed some parts of our 2015 plans.
I am no longer sad about what happened. The money I lost from those people was already replaced via a check deposit from a former employee, who sent me my completion and separation pay. The amount I received was even more than what I lost. So you see… good things happen to good people too (and I’d like to believe I am good because I really try to be one every day in every possible way).
After this post, I will update you about the twins’ reading progress. It’s been really exciting!
Be safe everyone and take care of those bags and wallets!
