Woman jumps out of taxi after driver tries to rob her

MANILA, Philippines — A woman bravely jumped out of a taxi after its driver allegedly tried to rob her in Quezon City, police said on Friday.

A report from the Kamuning police station said Maricel Dizon, 36, boarded the taxi driven by Jake Destacamento in front of a mall in Cubao at around 9:50 a.m. on Thursday and requested that she be taken to another commercial building along Aurora Boulevard.

On reaching Barangay Mariana, the suspect allegedly declared the robbery and took the victim’s P600 at knifepoint.

The suspect also attempted to grab the victim’s cellphone and wallet, but the victim resisted, opened the taxi’s door, and jumped out, said Col. Louise Benjie Tremor, commander of Kamuning police station in an interview with INQUIRER.net.

Passersby helped the victim report the incident to officials of Barangay Immaculate Concepcion, who then relayed the incident to police. The suspect fled towards Balete Drive, police said.

The victim, meanwhile, sustained injuries in her left elbow after the incident.

A follow-up operation was later conducted by officers from the Kamuning police station and from the Bulacan police, which led to the arrest of the suspect at around 6 p.m. on Thursday and the recovery of the taxi in Sapang Palay, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

According to police, the victim positively identified the suspect as the one who allegedly robbed her.

A case of robbery with violence against or intimidation of a person will be filed against the suspect before the office of the Quezon City prosecutor, police said. (Editor: Mike U. Frialde)