A 44-year-old e-bike driver who claimed he was ordered by the devil to commit robbery was arrested in Barangay Bulacao, Cebu City, early Friday, June 19, 2026.
Suspect arrested after hot pursuit
Nelson Verona Manabat, a resident of Sitio Paglaum, Barangay Bulacao, was apprehended by personnel of the Inayawan Police Station during a hot pursuit operation. He will face robbery charges.
The incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. in Sitio Siaboc, Barangay Bulacao. The victim, Pearl Therese Antiporta, a 25-year-old private school teacher, was walking home when she passed by the suspect. Suddenly, Manabat chased her, pressed a sharp object against her neck, and demanded her cellphone.
Fearing for her life, the teacher handed over her iPhone 13, worth PHP 70,000. After the crime, the suspect fled the scene on his e-bike.
Victim seeks help, suspect caught
The distraught victim ran to the road seeking help and was assisted by Patrolman Raffy Clenuar, who was passing by on a motorcycle. The officer took the victim with him to search for the suspect. They soon spotted and arrested Manabat while he was still riding his e-bike.
In an interview with SunStar Superbalita Cebu, the suspect admitted to the crime. He claimed he was being tormented by evil spirits and that the devil had commanded him to steal.
“The devil kept whispering to me to rob someone. He kept telling me to go find money,” Manabat said.
He alleged that his wife had tried to protect him by praying and lighting candles, but the devil had been bothering him since 2009. He expressed relief at being arrested, saying the candle that served as a curse had been extinguished.
Manabat apologized and said he would rather be in prison because the outside world is chaotic and full of temptations. He added that if he had succeeded in the robbery, he would have offered the proceeds to the evil spirits and lit candles for souls.
Police skeptical of suspect's claim
However, Police Staff Sgt. Jaymos Tordios, investigator at the Inayawan Police Station, told SunStar Superbalita Cebu that the suspect's claim of using only a key to threaten the victim may be an alibi. According to Tordios, the victim stated that a long, sharp metal object was used, but the weapon was not recovered.
