Chinese student nabbed for ‘taho’ tantrum

MANILA, Philippines — A 23-year-old female Chinese student was arrested yesterday morning after she threw a cup of taho or soybean dessert on a police officer who stopped her from entering the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT 3) in Mandaluyong City amid the recent ban on bottled drinks and other liquid substances due to bomb threats. 

Jiale Zhang, a first year Bachelor of Fashion student at SOFA Design Institute who lives in Mandaluyong City, allegedly argued with Police Officer 1 William Cristobal who was assigned at the MRT 3 Boni Avenue station, after the law enforcer insisted that she could not bring her cup of taho inside the train, the Mandaluyong City police said.National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Guillermo Eleazar, who went to the Mandaluyong police station, said Zhang threw the cup of taho on Cristobal. 

Eleazar said that before the incident, the policeman told Zhang about the MRT policy prohibiting liquid substances after a cup of taho was found inside her paper bag when she entered the station at around 8:30 a.m. 

Instead of complying, police said Zhang refused and threw a tantrum, then attacked Cristobal.

Investigators said the policemen arrested Zhang and brought her to the Mandaluyong police station where she is now detained. She has not yet posted bail as of press time.

Police said she faces charges of direct assault, disobedience to agent of person in authority and unjust vexation.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said officials are considering the temporary or permanent ban on Zhang from entering any of the MRT-3 stations over the “extremely rude behavior she exhibited.” 

For its part, the MRT-3 management reiterated that the tightened security measures in all train stations are intended for the safety of passengers.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) yesterday said it would coordinate with the DOTr and the NCRPO to determine if action could be taken against Zhang.

BI spokesperson Dana Mengote-Sandoval said they would assess if the Chinese student violated any immigration regulations. 

There were calls for her deportation after photos of the incident were uploaded on the social media yesterday. – With Evelyn Macairan