Cabbie robbed, killed just before birthday

A taxi driver was robbed and stabbed dead by his passengers on Tuesday, the eve of his 40th birthday, after he decided to extend his shift just to have some extra money on his special day.

The body of Gil Juego, a resident of Barangay Culiat in Quezon City, was found around 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday in the passenger seat of his Rein and Yohan Taxi (UWC 487) in Pasig City.

PO3 Eduardo Pablo of the Pasig police’s station investigation and detection management branch said the taxi had been abandoned in a dimly lit portion of Jenny’s Avenue Extension in Rosario, Barangay San Miguel.

The victim was discovered by barangay watchman Roque Pelonia who was on routine patrol when he noticed the cab parked in the area. When he peered inside the vehicle and saw the body, he called the police. The victim was identified through the driver’s license in his wallet which did not contain any money.

The police said the victim had multiple stab wounds in the chest and in the back. He also had deep cuts on his arms and hands, indicating that he had tried to fight off his attackers.

“There may have been two attackers based on the location of his wounds,” Pablo said, adding that Juego was apparently killed elsewhere. His attackers then took over the taxi and left it in Pasig City.

Pablo said that they had yet to determine where the victim picked up the passengers who killed him and then took his valuables. “He was last seen alive on Monday night having his car washed in Quezon City before he started picking up passengers,” the policeman told the Inquirer.

“He apparently extended his duty hours so he could raise money for his birthday celebration on Wednesday,” he added.

Pablo told the Inquirer that when he spoke to the victim’s wife, she said that Juego did not usually drive the taxi until the wee hours of the morning. But he decided to extend his shift on Tuesday to earn some extra money for his birthday.