The police have filed charges against four men believed to be behind several rock-throwing incidents in Quezon City, resulting in damage to the vehicles of motorists passing through the Quezon Avenue underpass and near the Quezon Memorial Circle.
Charged with malicious mischief, among other cases, were Dario Estaño and Jonathan “Johny” Mirandon—suspects in recent rock-throwing incidents at the Quezon Avenue tunnel—and Jose “Junjun” Roces, 44, and Ronald Vigilancia, 35, tagged in the June 28 rock-throwing incident on North Avenue corner Elliptical Road.
The Masambong police station, which has jurisdiction over the two areas, stepped up its drive against the mischief-makers after posts about the stoning incidents went viral on social media.
A post on car magazine website Topgear Philippines first reported the complaints of Cam Anareta and Ving del Prado regarding rocks being thrown at cars passing through the Quezon Avenue tunnel on June 15 and 16, respectively.
Anareta relayed how the windshield of her father’s vehicle was smashed by the rocks while Del Prado said her car’s back seat door sustained scratches. Del Prado noted that several rocks were already strewn on the road when she drove past the area.
On the other hand, motorist Mark Manalili was also quoted by Topgear as saying that around midnight on June 28, his modified Honda Jazz—which just hours before had received a citation in a car show—was pelted with big rocks as he passed by Quezon Memorial Circle en route to North Avenue.
The passenger seat window ended up smashed while the door suffered big dents. Manalili said at least three other vehicles passing the same way were also damaged. Taxi driver Joselito Juan, 43, was one of the other victims. Manalili later identified the perpetrators as adult males. Earlier, some victims had said the rock throwers, especially at the Quezon Avenue underpass, were children.
Mirandon was the first to be arrested for possession of a bladed weapon on June 19 at Barangay Bagong Pag-Asa. But one of the children earlier identified as behind the Quezon Avenue rock-throwing said he also took part in the activity whenever he was high on solvent, according to Masambong police station commander Supt. Christian de la Cruz.
On June 18, at least two street kids rounded up by barangay officials on North Avenue confessed to throwing stones at passing cars at the Quezon Avenue tunnel but said they did it after they were almost run over by other vehicles.
Estaño, meanwhile, was arrested on July 3 on Agham Road, for urinating in public and for possession of a bladed weapon. Under questioning, he also confessed to occasionally throwing “solid objects” at cars passing through the nearby Quezon Avenue tunnel, according to a report from Senior Insp. Rolando Lorenzo Sr. of the Quezon City Hall police detachment which carried out the arrest. Malicious mischief complaints are being prepared against Estaño, pending statements from victims.
Meanwhile, Vigilancia was arrested shortly after the June 28 rock-throwing incident, as residents in the area were able to point him out to police. Barangay Vasra resident and jeepney barker Roces, meanwhile, surrendered himself to barangay officials on July 6. With Jinky Cabildo and Rose Barroga, trainees