Police arrested two men Tuesday in connection with a viral robbery of a female motorcycle rider who was held at knifepoint while stuck in traffic in Tondo.
The suspects were identified by Manila Police District Station 1 as Moises Alfero, also known as “Moymoy” and Marlon Cabigting, known as “Sagiab.” Both are residents of Barangay 123 in Tondo.
Reports said that the victim, identified as Patricia Lopez of Navotas, was traveling along Mel Lopez Boulevard (R-10) toward Moriones on Monday night when she was accosted.
A video of the incident, which showed the suspects threatening to stab Lopez as she sat trapped in traffic, went viral shortly after it was posted online.
Authorities said the suspects made off with a Redmi A3 mobile phone, a wallet, and P20,000 in cash. Following a pursuit operation, police captured both men on Tuesday morning.
Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso presented the suspects during his “Talk to the People” broadcast, where Lopez positively identified the men as her attackers.
During the confrontation, the mayor expressed visible anger after one suspect denied involvement despite the video evidence and the victim’s identification.
“You were even going to stab the woman. You make my skin crawl,” Domagoso said, using strong language to condemn the suspects’ actions.
The mayor apologized to Lopez for the trauma she experienced and urged her to follow through with the legal process to ensure the suspects are prosecuted.
The Manila Police District confirmed that robbery and grave threat charges are being filed against Alfero and Cabigting with the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office.