Women beat up cabbie who tried to rob them

MANILA, Philippines - A driver who tried to rob two women who boarded his taxi was beaten black and blue Thursday night in Marikina City when one of the women turned out to be a blackbelt in karate, police said yesterday.

Rommel Rancho, 32, is being treated at the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center for broken legs and bruises all over hid body.

Melanie Natural, 23, a call center agent and karate blackbelt, sustained injuries in both hands. Natural and her fellow call center agent, Jamie de las Armas, 23, filed a formal complaint against Rancho before the Marikina police.

The women claimed they boarded a Leysa taxi (TXT-594) driven by Rancho in Cubao and asked that they be taken to B.G. Molina street in Barangay Parang at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday.

However, when they arrived at a dimly lit portion of Barangay Parang, they said Rancho pulled out a .38 caliber revolver and took their bags. The two women pleaded with Rancho to leave them with enough money for a jeepney ride home.

Rancho was reaching inside a bag for loose change when Natural punched him in the head, which caused him to black out for a few seconds and drop his handgun.

They then took turns beating Rancho until passersby intervened and had the taxi driver arrested.