Pickup truck, taxi carjacked in Quezon City

MANILA, Philippines - A pickup truck and a taxi were carjacked in two separate incidents in Quezon City yesterday.

Danilo Aguillon, 47, said two men in a Toyota Altis took his black Toyota Hilux pickup truck (ZAG-678) at gunpoint shortly after midnight yesterday.

Aguillon told police he intended to park his truck in the Toyota Cars compound in Barangay Tatalon. He said he got out of his truck to open the gate along Agno street when a man with a handgun approached him and demanded his wallet. After taking his wallet, which contained only personal documents, Aguillon said the gunman waved him off, boarded his truck and sped away.

A cohort waiting in the Altis, which was parked by the gate, followed the gunman.

An alarm has been raised for the missing pickup truck, said Police Officer 2 Zal Mandonado.

In the second incident, Vicente Valad-on, 40, cab driver for ABC Transportation Services, Inc., went to Quezon City Police Station 6 to report a man with a knife had taken his white Toyota Altis taxi (UVA-354).

Valad-on told investigators the man flagged him down along Regalado Avenue in Barangay West Fairview but upon reaching Pontiac street, just a few blocks away, the man ordered him out of the vehicle. The carjacker then drove away.

PO2 Jaime Samson said that at 9:55 a.m. yesterday, the taxi was found abandoned in front of a house on Tacloban street, Pael Subdivision in Barangay Culiat.

Police officers brought the cab to the station and turned it over to Michael Magat, assistant operations manager of ABC Taxi.