Sunday, July 09, 2006
Dutch philanthropist held-up
By Syril G. Repe
A DUTCH philanthropist became the latest victim of hold-ups by motorcycle bandits in Dumaguete City.
Jacobus Johannos Antonius Smetsers, 68, who is married for more than a decade to a Filipina from the northern town of Jimalalud, Negros Oriental complained to the Dumaguete City police Tuesday afternoon that he was held up while he was in the city last June 30.
Smetsers said he was walking along Rizal Boulevard 9:30 on the night of June 30 and was nearing Coco Amigos when a motorcycle with three unidentified men stopped a few meters away from him.
Two of the riders alighted and approached him. He said one of the hold-uppers then pointed a knife on his neck and declared a hold-up.
Smetsers was forced to hand over his video camera, a pair of eyeglasses, an electric shaver, a book, and ballpen.
He later told his wife's family in Jimalalud that the robbers also took with them an unidentified amount of cash.
Smetsers arrived in Dumaguete City on the last week of April to help a 13-year- old hare-lipped boy, Lyndon Ganag-ganag, who is from a very poor family in the remote barangay of Bangcal, Jimalalud.
Chona Garces Carabuena, 48, treasurer of Barangay Daro, and Smetser's sister-in-law, said this was not the first time, though, because seven years ago, the Dutchman also helped a five-year-old hare-lipped neighbor in Jimalalud undergo surgical operation. The recipient is now 12 years old.
Carabuena said her brother-in-law first saw Lyndon and took a photograph of him during his visit to Jimalalud. On returning to Holland, he wrote back and told his wife's family to look for the boy.
Lyndon was operated at Silliman University Medical Centre in Dumaguete City last May 10. The foreigner provided for the stay of the boy and his mother while in Dumaguete City, and later food and other financial help when they returned to their mountain village.
While in the city, Smetsers stayed at Coco Grande but had to have his meal at Coco Amigos along the city's boulevard.
Carabuena said her brother-in-law would be leaving the country next week on his way home to his Filipino family in Holland.
(July 9, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
