Tomas: Man "hurt" by towing personnel can go ahead, sue

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor-on-leave Tomas Osmeña said the motorcycle driver who sustained injuries after he was reportedly mauled by personnel of a private towing company for trying to escape after being caught driving without a crash helmet can file criminal charges if he wants to seek justice.

Osmeña, who is scheduled to arrive home on May 26 after his successful operation in Houston, Texas, said Freddie Teopez can file the necessary complaint if he wishes to.

“Ask Vice Mayor (Michael) Rama to handle that. The alleged victim is entitled to file charges,” Osmeña said in a text message that he sent to The FREEMAN yesterday.

Rama has assured that the case will be looked into by the city and the officials of the City Traffic Operations Management.

Osmeña’s critic and opposition leader Joel Garganera who is also a councilman of barangay Tinago, dared Rama to immediately suspend the operation of the two private towing companies in Cebu City.

“Daghan na kaayo og mga dili maayong binuhatan kining mga sakop sa private towing companies nga gi-hire sa CITOM. Kinahanglang mobarug na g’yod si Vice Mayor Rama sa pagsupak sa mga binuang,” Garganera said.

Teopez, 32, who works at a water refilling station, was flagged down by personnel of One-Stop Towing Service who are also deputized agents of CITOM because he was not wearing the required crash helmet.

But instead of heeding the advice for him to stop, Teopez instead sped off on his motorcycle prompting the towing personnel to chase him with their tow truck until they caught up with him near Fuente Osmeña where they allegedly beat him up.

Garganera said because Rama still wants to meet first with acting mayor Hilario Davide III and the city councilors for them to come up with guidelines on the implementation of the towing ordinance, it would be fair that the towing operations will be suspended.

It was Osmeña who allowed personnel of Road Warriors Towing Services, and One-Stop Towing Services to resume patrolling the city to look for illegally-parked vehicles and tow them away. — Rene U. Borromeo/BRP (THE FREEMAN)