Girl, 8, hit by taxi

CEBU – An eight-year-old girl was hit by a taxi around 3 p.m. yesterday in Bliss Compound, barangay Labangon, Cebu City.

Taxi driver Paquito Roche, 45, of St. Martin, barangay Sapangdaku, later told Punta Princesa policemen that he was on his way out of the compound after taking a passenger there when he bumped something he allegedly thought was a rock.

“Mikalit man lang ‘to ma’am nga naa ko’y naligsan nga mura lang ug naka-ligis ko ug bato. Akong pagtuo g’yud ato, nag-duwa ang bata sa canal kay wala man g’yud ko kita ato niya,” he said.

The driver further alleged that he only realized he had hit a child when he saw residents pointing to the child a few meters behind him.

He said he got out of the vehicle to take the child with him to the nearest hospital but jumped back into his taxi and drove away after he saw angry residents approaching him.

“Ako’ng gi-duol ang bata ug alsahon na unta nako kay dalhon sa ospital ‘nya kay nakakita man ko ug lalaki padulong namo, abi ko’g ang bata iyahang tumong, ’nya kay wala man s’ya mi-hunong. Gapadulong man g’yud s’ya nako ‘nya ga-hana ma’g kuot, mao ‘tong misibat na lamang ko,” the driver said.

The driver said after fleeing from the incident, he contacted the Ken Taxi Company which promised to pay the bills.

“Wala raba ko kaila ma’am kinsa ‘tong amo manager pero ingon ‘tong ako na-contact nga ipadala na lang daw ang mga resibo ngadto sa kompanya ug sila na lang daw ang bahala mobayad,” suspect said.

Not long after, he surrendered to the Punta Princesa police station and was later turned over to the City Traffic Operations Management.

The girl was taken to the Chong Hua Hospital.

CITOM Investigator SPOI Pablo Mazo said that the suspect will be charged for reckless driving.

His Toyota Corolla taxi with plate number GWP-489 is still at the police station while the suspect waits for the victim’s family to decide whether or not to file charges. — Niña Chrismae G. Sumacot /BRP (THE FREEMAN)