Bacolod bizman faces raps over road rage
BACOLOD CITY — A hog raiser is facing charges after he was tagged by policemen in a road rage incident here.
Bacolod City Prosecutor Ma. Theresa Ditching on Monday approved the filing of the charges in court against Fidel Cachumbo Flores for slight physical injuries, other mischief, and grave threats.
Flores, 47, was tagged in a road rage incident that resulted in the injury of two people and damage to the windshield of an Isuzu Hilander along Burgos Extension at 12:03 p.m. on March 2.
Hurt were vehicle driver Mark Salapante Galario, 36, a glass installer, and his passenger Gerson Masanguid Bangkiling, 23.
Sought for comment, Flores said he was driving his motorcycle with his child on board when the Hilander made a sudden U-turn without any signal.
“In my nervousness, I got mad,” he said in an interview.
Flores also claimed he was hit by the Isuzu Hilander so he threw stones at the windshield.
“I threw stones because he hit me,” Flores said.
He also said his hand was also injured.
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Police Station 4 chief Capt. Francis Depasucat said their investigation however showed that the Isuzu Hilander did not hit Flores.
Flores injured himself when he hit the windshield with a stone and was not inflicted on him by the victims, Depasucat said.
The Isuzu Hilander made a U-turn and Flores confronted the driver, claiming his motorcycle was hit.
During the confrontation, Galario apologized but denied hitting the motorcycle.
Flores then allegedly punched him in the face, injuring his mouth.
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Depasucat said that when the victims drove on, the suspect who was waiting down the road, smashed the windshield of their vehicle with a stone.
Bangkiling’s left arm was injured.
When the two passengers got out of their vehicle, Flores chased them with a stick with a sharp end and threatened to kill them, Depasucat said.
The police said further investigation showed Flores had been involved in two other road rage incidents.
In one of the incidents caught on video in 2023, Flores wielded a knife against a group of bikers in Talisay.
Depasucat said Flores appeared to have anger management issues that need to be addressed.
