Woman loses cellphone to ‘punas-tissue’ in Batangas City

A woman in Batangas City lost her cellphone to a fellow jeepney passenger who told her she had dirt on her shoulder.

According to Raffy Tima’s report on “State of the Nation,” the victim realized that she already lost her phone when music on her earbuds played at full volume

She said she checked her phone in her bag but saw it was no longer there.

“Ayun, nakababa na,” she was told by the passenger beside her.

The suspect had gone down the jeep and went up another vehicle. 

Before she realized that she had lost her phone, the suspect who sat in front of her said she had something on her shoulder.

The suspect helped her clean up with a piece of tissue and told her to place her phone in her bag.

She didn’t realize that the suspect had already taken her phone until it was too late.

The Batangas City police said the scheme is called the “punas-tissue” modus.

“Lahat po ng nasa paligid ay nagkakaroon po ng motibo once na makakita sila ng oportunidad,” said Police Lt. Sharen Ana, chief of the public information office of the Batangas City Police Station. —