CEBU, Philippines – Another taxicab driver has fallen victim to two robbers near the Taboan Public Market the other night, bringing the number of robbed taxi drivers to five in March alone, three of whom were killed.
Thirty-six-year-old Roberto Goc-on of barangay Quiot, Cebu City, who works for RDSAMC Taxi, sustained a stab wound to his left hand after trying to parry the knife used by the unidentified robbers past 11 p.m. of Monday.
He said that the two robbers boarded along Natalio Bacalso Avenue going towards the Taboan Public Market. But upon their arrival near the said market, one of the robbers poked a knife at him and declared a holdup.
While the other man on the front seat got the proceeds amounting to P2,450.
Goc-on said that while the vehicle was running, he “used the brake to distract the robbers” which gave him the chance to grab for the knife.
“Maong nasamad ko kay pagkalit nako og brake akong giilog dayon ang kutsilyo maong nanagan ang mga tulisan pero nadala gyod nila akong kita,” the victim narrated.
Goc-on reported the incident immediately to the Station 6 of the Cebu City Police Office based in barangay Sawang-Calero.
Two weeks ago, a taxi driver identified as Randy Saballa, 33, sustained a stab wound but is also fortunate to have escaped serious harm.
The other victim was 54-year-old Gregorio Presores, driver of Kumgang Taxi, and a resident of Humay-humay, Lapu-Lapu City.
Gregorio was killed by robbers near the old office of the Mobile Patrol Division along the Reclamation Area, the same area where 35-year-old Victor Aballe, driver of Marmic Taxi, was robbed and killed last March 17.
Last March 11, a 50-year-old lay minister and taxi driver identified as Carlito Singson of Emerson Taxi, was also robbed and killed by two unidentified robbers in sitio Colo, barangay Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City.
The case is still pending as the Lapu-Lapu City police have no suspect yet in the killing of Singson. – Ramil V. Ayuman/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)