Taxi driver drives off with bag of groceries

A 47-year-old taxi driver was arrested for  driving off with a sack of  rice and groceries of his female passenger in barangay Labogon, Mandaue City.

At first Roger Cabante  denied stealing the goods.

He had to own up to the crime when  police found messages in his cell phone asking his wife to keep the sack of rice and grocery items.

The driver agreed to refund the goods as part of an amicable settlement with the passenger.

But police said that after this incident, Cabante will no longer be allowed to drive a taxi,

The complainant, Angelie Cellona, 30, told police that she boarded a taxi to go  home to YY Housing in the evening of April 13.

A P3,300 sack of rice and  box of groceries were loaded in the baggage compartment. When Cellona arrived outside the house, she got down and waited for the driver to unload her purchases. To her surprise,  the taxi made a U-turn then drove away.

She said she tried to stop the taxi but the driver ignored her.  Cellona reported to the police, which tracked down the driver and brought him to the police station where the passenger identified him. /CORRESPONDENT FE MARIE D. DUMABOC