Cabbie in shortchanged coed case nabbed
By Julie M. Aurelio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:11:00 12/02/2008
Filed Under: Road Transport, Crime, Local authorities
MANILA, Philippines – Police arrested Monday morning the taxi driver who tried to shortchange his passenger, an 18-year-old student of the University of Santo Tomas. With the girl still inside the cab, he drove off in the middle of their argument, as the girl’s mother tried to seek help from village watchmen.
Members of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (QCPD CIDU) nabbed Primitivo Sarmiento in his house in Muñoz, Quezon City.
Supt. Antonio Yarra of the QCPD general investigation section said they found Sarmiento through the help of an informant who took them to the taxi company in Barangay Ugong, Valenzuela City, where the suspect worked.
A coworker who recognized Sarmiento through an artist’s sketch released by the police led police to the suspect’s house.
Positive identification
Sarmiento was positively identified by the victim, Valerie (not her real name), who went to the QCPD CIDU office in Camp Karingal later in the day. She was accompanied by her parents.
The suspect yielded an AM Trans taxicab with license plate TWN 875. Based on Valerie’s complaint, Sarmiento drove a KUL taxi with license plate TWC 897 which had been issued to an Isuzu jeepney owned by a couple in Pagasa, Quezon City.
According to the police, both names, KUL and AM Trans, were not registered with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
Yarra said Sarmiento admitted changing the license plate and name of the taxi, “a violation to be coursed through the Land Transportation Office.”
According to Valerie she flagged down a taxi cab on Nov. 22 and asked the driver to take her to her house in Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City.
When they got there, the two argued because the driver said Valerie gave him only P60 for her fare while she insisted that she had given him a P1,000 bill.
Valerie’s mother came out of the house and heard her daughter arguing with the cab driver, so she decided to ask for help from barangay watchmen.
The driver immediately sped off with Valerie inside the cab. She escaped by jumping off the moving vehicle, sustaining injuries in the process.
Yarra said they would contact victims of similar incidents to see if Sarmiento had been involved in other cases before.
“Initially, we will be charging him with robbery and serious physical injuries,” he added.
Valerie’s mother said they were very thankful the police were able to catch Sarmiento quickly.
“We also call on the authorities to check the colorum (vehicles with no franchise) taxis plying the streets of Metro Manila to prevent similar incidents in the future,” she added.
Sarmiento’s arrest came a day after the QCPD released an artist sketch of him based on the description given to them by Valerie.
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