4 students hijack taxi, rob cabbie

MANILA, Philippines - Four men, two of them teenagers, allegedly robbed a taxi driver and attempted to take away his vehicle at the University of the Philippines-Diliman campus before dawn yesterday but were arrested when the victim shouted for help when the suspects left him behind.

Superintendent Oscar Palisoc, commander of the Quezon City Police District-Station 9, said the suspects were identified as Dabu Jibreel Sinsuat, 18; Marc Lawrence Dagatan, 18; Michele Vincent Dy, 24, and a 17-year-old male.

The UP campus police blotter stated that the suspects are students of Ateneo de Manila University, Angelicum College and the Center for Culinary Arts.

Palisoc said they released the four suspects at around 3 p.m. yesterday after cabbie Jose Maligsa signed an affidavit of desistance at the prosecutor’s office when the suspects were brought for inquest on charges of robbery.

“Since there was a release order, we could not hold them any further,” Palisoc told The STAR in an interview.

In the affidavit of desistance, Maligsa said the incident was a “misunderstanding” and not the fault of anyone.

“It (affidavit of desistance) means he (cabbie) is no longer interested in pursuing the case,” Palisoc said.

According to Palisoc, the four students boarded the taxi at past 1 a.m. along Xavierville Avenue in Barangay Loyola to bring them to the UP Diliman campus. Palisoc quoted the students’ parents as saying that the suspects came from an Internet shop in the area.

Upon arrival at the campus, specifically along EDSA, the students allegedly declared the heist, with one of them allegedly armed with a bladed weapon.

The students allegedly took the victim’s cellular phone and earnings worth P3,000, then took over the steering wheel from Maligsa, whom they allegedly left on the road.

“After traveling a few meters from where they left behind the cabbie, the suspects also got off the vehicle, prompting the cabbie to shout for help. The commotion was noticed by a patrolling security guard and personnel of the UP SSB (Special Services Brigade), who immediately called up our policemen,” Palisoc said.

The police official, however, said they could not find the bladed weapon that one of the students allegedly carrying, as earlier claimed by Maligsa.

Palisoc said the students appeared to be from well-off families, with a lawyer already talking for them at the site where they were arrested. He said police even asked what prompted them to do it if they really did what the cabbie was alleging, but no one would say anything.

Palisoc expressed disbelief at the affidavit of desistance, noting that Maligsa was bent on pressing charges while at the crime scene and even up to when they were brought to the station.

 “We’re wondering why there suddenly was a settlement,” he said.