Refused help, taxi driver stabbed by robbers, dies

Man is often guilty of inhumanity to man but this is least expected on Christmas day.

The life of a taxi driver, stabbed by holdupmen who robbed him of his day’s earnings on Aurora Boulevard, Cubao, Quezon City, could have been saved had people who earlier saw him bleeding had the heart to bring him to a hospital.

Despite the blood oozing from his chest and right arm, victim Dick Alvarez, 46, married, of 37 Sta. Rita Street, SSS Village Marikina City, was able to narrate to the Good Samaritan, who helped him, that he was robbed and stabbed by three holdupmen.

Ramon Buenaventura, 25, tricycle driver, married, of Pinatubo Street, Barangay San Martin de Porres, Cubao, Quezon City, saw the bleeding victim sitting in front of Mercury Drug on Aurora Boulevard, Cubao, Quezon City at around 2:05 a.m.

The victim was crying when he told Buenaventura that he had sought help from the customers and owner of a nearby "lugawan" to bring him to a hospital because he could die due to a stab wounds. However, they ignored him and told him to seek assistance from other passersby.

Senior Police Officer 1 Cresenciano Bajao, oficer-on-case, said the victim was unable to go to the hospital on his own because of the blood oozing from his chest and right arm.

Buenaventura immediately rushed the victim to the East Avenue Medical Center but he died while undergoing treatment. Attending physicians said the victim’s life could have been saved had he been immediately given surgical treatment.

Investigation showed that the victim was driving a taxicab with plate number TUC 182 along Aurora Boulevard, Cubao, Quezon City when the suspects, who posed as passengers, announced a holdup and took his day’s earnings.

Probers said the taxi driven by the victim was also missing. Police recovered from the victim his identification cards and a traffic violation receipt which showed that he was apprehended by the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) police yesterday at around 12:20 a.m. for traffic obstruction and illegal parking.