An agent of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was allegedly assaulted by a group of armed men following a minor vehicular accident on Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City on Monday night, the police said.
Pasay City police chief Senior Supt. Melchor Reyes said Lamont Siler was dragged out of his vehicle at gunpoint and took a punch after his car’s side mirror got into contact with and left scratches on a sport utility vehicle (SUV). The alleged incident happened near the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) complex around 7 p.m.
Reyes said it was reported to the Pasay police by US Embassy Manila Special Investigator Voltaire Gomez, who went to the station later that night and confirmed that Siler was an FBI special agent currently on assignment in the country.
Quoting Gomez, Reyes said that after the mishap, Siler’s car was blocked by two other SUVs which apparently served as backup vehicles for the first SUV that got scratched.
Four of the men who got out pointed shotguns at the American and forced him out of his car. One of them then punched him in the stomach, demanding payment for the damaged vehicle.
The men also forced Siler to hand over his driver’s license and US Embassy badge, but returned these items to him after confirming he was an FBI agent.
Before leaving Siler “in a hurry,” they told him they would still contact him on the phone for payment, Reyes said.
Investigators on Tuesday began tracking down the damaged vehicle—a Toyota Fortuner (YF-8560)—by checking with the Land Transportation Office.