Bus conductor nabbed for attack on Spanish doctor

MANILA, Philippines -  A bus conductor accused of robbing and stabbing a Spanish female doctor in a Pasay City hotel last Thursday was arrested by the local police Sunday.

Pasay City police chief Senior Superintendent Napoleon Cuaton said they are preparing robbery with frustrated homicide charges against Aristotle Axibal after he was identified by Dr. Beatriz Pereiro, 30, as her attacker.

Pereiro identified Axibal through a video shown to her at her hospital bed at San Juan de Dios hospital, Cuaton said.

He said Axibal was arrested after his bus arrived at the Partas Bus Terminal in Barangay Malibay at about 2 a.m. yesterday. He did not resist arrest.

Pereiro said she was sleeping in her hotel room and woke up when she saw a man who resembled Axibal rifling through her bag. He stabbed her 15 times, and she survived by playing dead.

Police found that Axibal and his girlfriend was also billeted in the hotel, beside Pereiro’s room. Pereiro said he was the one who told her about the hotel.

Axibal was questioned by the local police but was allowed to rejoin his bus trip to the province as Pereiro remained unconscious in the hospital for two days.

Cuaton said Axibal chose to remain silent on the charges against him, while Pereiro refused to have a face-to-face confrontation with Axibal because “she’s very scared.”

The victim’s family arrived from Spain last Sa­turday to be with her.