MARSH
MANILA, Philippines—While admitting that he was involved in a fight with a taxi driver he was accused of mauling on Wednesday, Daniel Marsh—one of the hosts of TV5’s documentary-style reality show “Juan Direction”—insisted that he only acted in self-defense after being “physically threatened.”
In an interview on Friday, Marsh said tension started to rise between him and Edward Villanueva, when the latter did not immediately get the taxi meter running.
“He didn’t start the meter, and it didn’t seem like he forgot to do it. So I pressed the ‘hire’ button, but he didn’t like this,” the Filipino-Irish model-TV host said of Villanueva, whom he flagged around 5 a.m. in front of Prive Luxury Club at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.
Upon arriving at his home at Tivoli Garden Residences in Mandaluyong City, Marsh saw that the meter read “around P70.”
The TV host, who lost his wallet earlier that day, gave Villanueva P100, which he said he had borrowed from a friend before hailing the cab.
Villanueva, however, demanded more money, according to Marsh.
“I was willing to let him keep the change. But he said, ‘No, [give me] P500,’” he said, adding, “but that was way too much.”
The TV personality, who holds Irish and Philippine passports, and has been residing in the country for the past seven years, denied allegations that he wanted a free ride.
“I wouldn’t have borrowed P200 pesos from my friend if I was planning to run away,” he said.
After a heated argument, the two engaged in a fight. Marsh claimed it was Villanueva who first became violent. “He instigated it. I had to defend myself because I felt I was being exploited.”
Saying it wasn’t his intention to make a scene, he said Villanueva went overboard with his description of what happened.
“If he was beaten badly why don’t you see any bruises on him? ” Marsh said. “He was no pushover. He’s about 5’10 and stocky.”
Marsh also denied Villanueva’s claim that he was drunk, saying he did not drink at the club.
He reiterated that the issue wasn’t about Filipinos versus foreigners. “I just had an encounter with a taxi driver who tried to rip me off, and nobody likes being ripped off,” he said.