A salesman for a marketing outfit was shot and injured by a still unidentified robber in another hold-up involving a cash collector in Bacolod City yesterday, the police said.

Eduardo Sarabia, 43, of Rodriguez Baybay, Brgy. 35, Bacolod, was brought to the Riverside Medical Center with a broken hipbone when he was shot by an unidentified man at the Metrodome Building at Araneta Street, in the city, about 3:30 p.m. yesterday, Police Station 1 case investigator, PO3 Celito Dullan, said.

Sarabia was already stable at the RMC last night, Dullan said.

The incident happened as people, many of them students, were waiting for boxing champ Manny Pacquiao to pass by the area.

Police investigation showed that Sarabia, a salesman for Columbia Marketing, was boarding a panel van after collecting money from customers, at the Metrodome Building, when the robber pointed a revolver at him and fled with P20,000 in cash on a blue Honda XRM driven by an accomplice waiting behind his vehicle, Dullan said.

The van driver, Ferdinand Talwar, 39, of San Dionisio, Brgy. Granada, in the city, was left unharmed.

Dullan said the robber must have shot Sarabia when he attempted to get off the vehicle and that the thieves may have monitored Sarabia’s collection routine.

As of 7 p.m. yesterday, Bacolod City Police Office director, Senior Supt. Ronilo Quebrar, said that they were conducting hot-pursuit operations on persons, he did not identify, for possible involvement in the hold-up.

Yesterday’s robbery was the fourth involving collectors.

On Monday, Nikita Lending Investor employee, Jose Ramonito Bulgado, 31, of Purok Bulak, Brgy. Mandalagan, was robbed of P2,000 in collection money by two unidentified men, in Purok Pine Tree, Brgy. Bata, Bacolod.

JLJ Lending Corp. collector, Jemuel Esic, was robbed by Alex Asumbra of P3,000 in cash, in Purok Sigay, Brgy. 2, in the city, on July 9. Asumbra was arrested later and charged for robbery Monday.

Another businessman, Van Singh, an Indian national, also lost P6,000 in cash to still unidentified persons at Bangga CP, Brgy. Bata, in the city.

Quebrar advised collectors to be observant with people around them and added that they should avoid following a pattern when they carry cash.*PP

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