My VERA Files colleague, Yvonne Chua, forwarded to me a note from Jose Ramon Albert, a senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies,enclosing a first-person account by his niece Carina Linao, titled “Near-death experience.”
It was dated Sept. 26, 2011.I’m sharing this letter to warn others to be careful in taking taxis.
Here’s Ms Linao’s story:
“I don’t think I’ll ever go to Mall of Asia ever, again. I don’t like that mall anyway. Besides, it’s too big and far for me. I won’t go there ever.
“Last Saturday, I went there for the last time. It was a normal day. My boyfriend and I spent the day together by watching “Abduction”, eating at Racks and having a coffee at Seattle’s. Until the clock ticked 9PM, we decided to go home.
It was weird because I think it was the first time we decided to get a cab at the back (we didn’t go to the front side where there are taxis in cue). So a cab went by after another, we just went in and told the driver, “Paco”.
“Then he let us in. After a few minutes, I suddenly felt quiet because the taxi meter went up to P71 from P40p and we were still in MOA. There wasn’t any traffic at all so I kinda thought this driver has an incorrect meter.
“But going back, usually from MOA, the way to home will be Macapagal Avenue, Roxas Blvd, then Quirino Avenue. When we were about to go straight to Macapagal Avenue, the taxi driver turned right to Wensha Spa. That’s where my boyfriend asked, “san tayo dadaan bossing?” The the driver said: “Dito, traffic eh. Hindi kayo dumadaan dito pre? May sikretong daan dito!!”
My boyfriend was thinking, baka sa Roxas to pupunta so dapat didiretso siya. But then, he turned left.
“The place was so dark all I could say was: “STOP. STOP. STOP.” Then I remember the driver saying: “Madam, hindi ako masamang tao” and he stepped on his gas so fast from 40 – 70kph. He also turned his headlights and radio off. I didn’t utter any words than that until we panicked our way out. (P.S. I am shaking while writing this.)
“ I think I heard my boyfriend say, “Itigil niyo na” but I’m not sure because my mind was just telling me to get out of the taxi.
“Then my bf told me he couldn’t open the door. Alam niyo yung child lock? Dun kami pumasok eh so nabuksan namin from the outside pero this time, we couldn’t. So I tried opening the door (left side, at the back of the driver) and I couldn’t. So I kicked it so hard for me to jump off the taxi. That time I couldn’t see anything at all. The taxi was taking us to this dead spot place. As in wala kang makikitang kahit anong ilaw. I didn’t feel i had lots of wounds already until I saw the taxi stopped and my bf was rushing to go out.
“We ran so hard I didn’t feel my right ankle was bleeding. Then we stopped when we saw people already. I was dead silent for a minute and I remember saying, “alis na tayo.. ayoko na.. tara na..” I was so scared I didn’t know where to go.
“The saddest part is we didn’t see the plate number nor the taxi’s name because I was sooooo scared. And until now I’m still shaking every time I remember it. Siguro kung hindi ako tumalon, it’s either patay nako o na-rape ako. I had to jump and thank God I’m alive.
“Right now, I don’t think I could go out of the house. I’m worried how to go to the office and how to go home. I don’t want to sleep alone either. And I’ve been sleeping alone since elementary! I cry whenever I feel like I’m alone in a room or in our sala.
“ It was a traumatic experience and it left me lots of wounds/bruises. I have three bruises on my ankle, one of which is deep. I have a big open wound on my knee – which makes me cry until now. I have two wounds on my right hand, two small wounds on my left, 1 big scratch near my waist, one scratch on my elbow/shoulder. I have a “pasa” on my right cheek bone. I feel paralyzed and sometimes I pity myself because I couldn’t walk normally, sleep normally and live normally. I couldn’t even take a bath normally, every part of my body is aching.
:I’m sharing this as a warning. Please take care guys. If you feel like someone cannot be trusted, then do the necessary actions. Never ride a cab that is not in cue. Never trust anyone and always check the cab’s number and other information.
“This happened last saturday night (09/24). It’s almost 2 days after the accident, and I still cry. I never want that to happen again, and to you guys too. So please, be cautious.
“Thank God, we’re alive.”
kumokonti na ang mapagkakatiwalaang tao sa paligid. sa mga taksi drayber na ‘yan, mas unang iniisip ang panlalamang kaysa tugunan ang tunay na pakay ng kanilang hanapbuhay. sa halip na public conveyance ay nagiging public annoyance ang ginagawa nila.
sasala ang sandok sa rice cooker pero hindi mawawalan ng tagapag-alagang tulisang pulis ang katulad ng drayber na ‘yan.
Never be absent minded in a cab.
Always know your route and tell the driver to follow it, regardless of traffic, and especially if it’s nighttime already. And always watch the meter, as some are spiked.
I once rode a taxi from Timog going to Diliman, I tried to close my eyes and take a nap, naknamp*tcha, I opened it just to looksee, papasok pa lang kami ng Q.Ave nasa P90 na. I old him mali metro nya, but he tried to argue. I asked him to pull over and transferred cab without paying. Damn peoples nowadays.
Mas maraming nabibiktima yung mga nanggaling sa probinsiya, promdi. Dyaan naka-abang ang mga taxi drivers at oras na tumawag ka ng taxi, kokontratahin ka agad. Maraming malungkot na kwento after that.
Palibhasa’y dugay na ako sa Menila, ang estilo natin ay medyo may pagka astig. Pagbaba ko pa lang sa bus, pahawak hawak na ako sa aking tagiliran na kunyari ay may baril at medyo malakas ang boses pagsasabi kung saan ako pupunta. Pag-upo ko, buong lakas na pagsara (blag) ng pintuan ng taxi.
I make it a point na everytime I ride a taxi , sinusulat ko yung plate no. ng taxi sa kamay ko, para kung ano mangyari naka lista na plate no. Niya …I’m not in the phils now pero I still do it here in east coast and it helps me when I accidentaly drop my cpone inside the taxi..- was able to track the taxi’s garage..please make it a habit …wala namang mawawala
Dun na lang ako sa baryo, walang taxi at halos makag-anak lahat and traysikol dribers. 🙂
Ang aking mga pangkin sa Maynila, alisto! Minumukhaan ang mga kasama ko sa lakaran at kinukuha ang plate number ng kotse, di ba Joeseg? Hehehehe!
Dapat naman talaga na bago sumakay ng taxi ay kunin ang plate number at pangalan ng taxi. Kung nasa loob na ay mukhaan ang driver at titigan/kunin ang ngalan sa nakasabit na ID. Meron pa ba nyan?
Naman! Merong bagong-imbentong gadget na pwede mong gamitin pangontra sa ganitong sitwasyon. Itatapat lang ninyo sa gusto ninyong mai-record, tapos pindot.
Ang tawag po e “Cellphone”. Yung pong may camera. Kung wala po kayo e pumunta lang kayo sa bahay ko, bibigyan kayo ng anak ko ng pinaglumaan niya.
Yung presence of mind, di po namin kayang ibigay yun.
Many thanks, Ellen, for sharing this note.
Some people may misinterpret this incident, which may be isolated, to mean the country is not safe… In any place in this world, there is crime and violence. What is important is to have presence of mind, if heaven forbid this happens to us.
My sister thought this note should be shared with media, so that more people can be informed. And it provides a means for my niece to also get more healing to know that her experience may help others as well.
Thanks for your attention.
Jose Ramon G. Albert, Ph.D.
Senior Research Fellow
Philippine Institute for Development Studies
http://www.pids.gov.ph
email: jalbert@mail.pids.gov.ph
saka dapat bago sumakay ng taksi, ipa DNA muna para malaman kung legal o hindi. malay n’yo cloned ‘yun. di ba?
buti na sigurado, bah.
i think it’s safer to use the jeepney. at least maraming tao.
but the safest is to just go to other malls like 999 shopping mall na lang sa divisoria. mura na, masa pa.
I broke my clavicle years ago because of a taxi cab. I always used the cab coming from the drop off point of our company coaster. The night I had the accident, the yellow cab toook a different route, something I was not familiar with. He took a longer route. I argued with him and when I reached home I told him I was not going to pay the extra, just what I usually paid everyday. Just as I was getting off the car, he sped off. It was a good thing that the cabs then had bumbers with a space one could hang unto. I did grab the bumber but had to let go but still fell on the gound with two fractures, a very bruised face and back and blue all over my body. If I did not grab the bumper, I would have died there and then as I would have fallen hard, head first. Until now, I can not get myself to ride a cab in the Philippines.
#7. Hahaha, Tongue talaga! Anyhooo… ako meron taser para pangontra sa bad pipol. Di ko hilig cellphone, mas madaling i-sundot ang taser pero siempre sa Pinas ay cellphone ang practical na weapon, klik dito klik dun basta hindi cell and target ng holdapan malaking tulong yan.
psb, ka-trauma ang nangyari sa iyo. Kung tayo na Pinoy ganyan ang experiences sa taxi, ano na kaya ang mga pangyayaring hindi nairireport sa mga turista?
Kung may ihahatid akong tao sa sakayan mapa-taxi man o tricycle, I make it a point na makita ng driver na kinunan ko ng cellcam ang body number niya. I’m sure di na niya pagbabalakang gawan ng masama yung pasahero niya.
Preventive dapat ang approach sa criminality.
-Nariyang pipilitin mong mamukhaan yung driver bago ka sumakay.
-Yung kesyo may kausap ka sa cellphone (kahit panggap lang) at iparining mo sa driver na binabasa mo ang taxi name, body number o license plate.
-Tignan muna kung merong handle yung window riser kundi man yung tumbler switch. Dapat pamilyar ang regular taxi rider sa uri ng kotseng sinasakyan niya. Karamihan naman ng taxi ngayon Toyota Vios.
-Pag may hinala kayong may balak na masama ang driver, idaan at patigilin sa isang presinto ng Pulis. Bumaba ka at sabihin mong may kukunin ka lang. Pag sumibat yung taxi pagbaba mo, nakaligtas kang sigurado sa disgrasya.
-Wag kalimutang magbaon ng “maraming” presence of mind. Kung pera lang ang kailangan, ibigay mo na. Tatalon ka ba sa gitna ng highway at itataya ang buhay mo para sa isang cellphone o laptop lang?
Chi, I had to be operated twice coz of the fracture. Buti na lang yung doctor ko eh yung doctor ni Imelda Marcos. Magaling talaga. I am ok now but the scar is still there. The negative perception on these cabs will forever be with me though. I would just beg for one of my relatives to come pick me up.
Aside from presence of mind meron pa isa, “don’t panic”. Based on the story, she panicked and she will not be able to re-tell what really transpired.
Naalala ko tuloy yung kwento ng isang estudyanteng taga Iriga, nang magkasunog sa school building nila. Nagu-unahan daw pababa mula sa 3rd floor yung mga estudyante, kaya sumisigaw yung Dean ng “Don’t panic! Don’t panic”.
Sumagot ang isang estudyanteng babae, “Madam,ano ba kayo, nakikita nyo nga na pababa na kami, PAPANHIK PA KAMI?
psb wth. scary naman yan. are u ok now?
Nice one, duane.
#15. Hahahaha.
Ito talaga ang gusto ko sa Pilipino. Sa gitna ng usapang disgrasya,huhugot ng sense of humor.
QED, ok na ok na ako but I never ride a taxi na unless it is during the day and I have company. Kung ako lang magisa, forget it! Hindi na lang ako lalabas.