Watchmen save student from drug-spraying cabbie

MANILA, Philippines - Barangay watchmen in Pasig City saved an 18-year-old student last Friday from a taxi driver who reportedly sprayed the vehicle’s interior with a drug that made her feel dizzy and numb.

Micah Crystel Sual was in a Tricon taxi (TWJ-743) driven by Dominador Obsenarez, 38, when she smelled a foul odor coming from the vehicle’s air-conditioning vent as the taxi reached the intersection of Amang Rodriguez Avenue and East Bank Road in Barangay Manggahan at around 6:45 p.m., Police Officer 3 Melvin Jesus Mendoza said.

Several minutes later, Sual was dizzy and her body began to feel numb, Mendoza said.

The student asked Obsenarez to pull over as she tried to open the passenger door, but the suspect pulled her back into the taxi, he said.

Barangay Manggahan watchmen witnessed the incident, gave chase and arrested Obsenarez, who was found with two wet towels and a bottle of what appeared to be water. The pieces of evidence is being examined by the Eastern Police District’s crime laboratory.

Obsenarez chose to remain silent on charges that he used a drug to try and rob Sual. Pasig police chief Senior Superintendent Mario Rariza ordered the filing of attempted robbery charges against the suspect, who is being held at the city police detention center.