Police arrest cabbie for running off with money

CEBU, Philippines - Police have arrested yesterday the taxi driver who fled with over P100,000 cash and valuables owned by his Japanese passenger outside a mall in Barangay Apas last Saturday.

SPO2 Willard Selibio of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 7 identified the suspect as Danilo Olivares, 53, a driver of Airland Taxi.

Selibio, in an interview with The Freeman, said they arrested the suspect at his residence in sitio Cadahu-an, Barangay Talamban, shortly before noon yesterday.

Prior to the arrest, Selibio said they already identified the body number of the taxicab through the mall’s security camera which captured the incident last Saturday.

Yesterday morning, Selibio said they checked the taxi’s body number 1271 at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and learned that the number belongs to Airland Taxi.

Selibio said they went to the office of Airland and learned from the management that it was Olivares who drove the said unit last Saturday. Since then, Olivares no longer reported for duty.

CIDG 7 operatives proceeded to the residence of Olivares and arrested him.

Takoto Kurata, 22, the victim, also pointed at Olivares as the taxi driver who fled with his baggage.

The suspect claimed he had diarrhea so he no longer reported for work.

“Gikalibanga kuno siya. Gikalibanga sa P100,000. (He claimed he had diarrhea. Diarrhea from the P100,000.)” Selibio said in jest.

The police officer said that of the P100,000 stolen by the suspect, only P1,020 was recovered while only 20,000 yen from the 32,000 yen stolen was also recovered, Selibio said.

Kurata’s laptop and iPad were fortunately recovered. His passport, however, was no longer found.

“Gilabog sa suspek sa basurahan unya pagcheck namo, wala na didto, (The suspect threw it into the waste bin and when we checked, it was gone.)” Selibio said.

The suspect admitted to the crime, Selibio said, saying that he was tempted upon seeing the huge amount of cash. He said he has already spent the rest of the P100,000.

“Kasabot man siya na Hapon iyang pasahero unya kwartahan, mao tong iyang gisibat, (He understood that his passenger was a rich Japanese national which was why he ran off with the money and valuables.)” Selibio further said. Olivares has been a taxi driver for 10 years now.

Olivares is now detained at the CIDG 7 detention cell and will face theft charges.

Last Saturday, Kurata and three other Japanese friends just got off the taxicab upon arriving at the vicinity of Gaisano Country Mall when Olivares suddenly sped off with Kurata’s things placed inside the baggage compartment.

The mall’s security camera caught the foreigners chasing after the cab, but to no avail.     - THE FREEMAN