Cabbie arrested for passenger heist; victim says robbers molested her

MANILA, Philippines - A cabbie and his alleged accomplice were arrested over the weekend after a woman complained he and two other men robbed and molested her in his vehicle.

Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Chief Superintendent Mario dela Vega said Salvador Fulloso, 40, of Barangay Batasan Hills; and Pablito Manatag, 38, of Antipolo City, were arrested on Saturday and are facing charges of robbery and acts of lasciviousness.

Dela Vega said Fulloso, who drove the Celynn taxicab (UVY-636), denied involvement in the robbery perpetrated by Manatag and a still unidentified companion. Superintendent Reynaldo Ramirez, head of the QCPD’s Special Operations Unit, said Fulloso admitted he was paid P1,400 by the suspects following the robbery.

Ramirez said the arrest was based on the complaint of a 23-year-old woman working as a clinic aide, who claimed the robbery and molestation happened at past 11 p.m. Friday.

Chief Inspector Reynante Parlade said the woman was on her way home when she boarded the taxi in Greenhills, San Juan. Upon reaching Aurora Boulevard near its intersection with Araneta Avenue, Fulloso allegedly slowed down and it was at this point that Manatag and the still unidentified robber boarded the cab and declared the heist.

“The cabbie was claiming the suspects forced their way into the cab. The taxi he was driving is a new vehicle and had locks controlled by buttons by the driver’s seat. The two others could not have boarded the cab had he not unlocked the doors,” Parlade said in an interview.

Inside the vehicle, the suspects declared the heist, with Manatag taking over the steering wheel from Fulloso. Manatag drove aimlessly for more than an hour as the suspects allegedly groped the victim and threatened to kill her if she resisted.

According to the woman, the suspects took her belongings and cash worth around P40,000 before they finally released her in New Manila. She said the suspects told her not to run, look back, shout for help or do anything that would attract attention, warning her they had accomplices in the area who could easily snatch her again and hurt her.

“But before the woman walked away, she had presence of mind and managed to take note of the markings and plate number of the taxicab,” Parlade said.

These details led policemen to the garage of the taxi’s operator in Fairview, where the cab was found. Fulloso was traced to his house in Batasan Hills, and he told policemen Manatag even asked him to drop him off at his house in Antipolo following the robbery.

On Thursday night, a woman was also robbed when she boarded a cab.

Jennylyn Segundino, 27, who works for a computer company and resides in Pasig City, said she lost her laptop and other belongings, including credit cards, in the incident.

According to a report from the QCPD Station 12, Segundino hailed a taxi along C-5 Road in Barangay Bagumbayan, but she failed to take note of the taxi’s license plate number because it was raining that night.

She told police the cabbie suddenly stopped in front of a bank warehouse and allowed two men to board the vehicle and grab her belongings.

Investigators have yet to determine whether the two robberies were done by the same group.