3 Chinese pastors charged with drunk driving

MANILA, Philippines - Three Chinese men, allegedly Christian pastors, have been charged with drunk driving and resisting arrest, an official said yesterday.

Huang Xiaopei, Wang Yisa, Heng Qui Ze – said to be pastors of the United Evangelical Church of the Philippines – were arrested on Sept. 10 and are detained at the Manila Police District integrated jail until they either post bail or are transferred to the city jail, according to Chief Inspector Arsenio Riparip, who heads the MPD’s general assignment section.

Witnesses told Senior Police Officer 2 James Poso that a drunk Huang was driving a van, with Wang and Heng as passengers, along United Nations Avenue on Thursday when he bumped into a sport utility vehicle (SUV) at about 10:45 p.m.

Instead of pulling over, Huang bumped the SUV’s rear portion three more times. Vehicle owner Jeffrey Cheang alighted from the SUV and approached the pastors. But the three were not apologetic upon alighting from their vehicle.

“When accosted by Mr. Cheang, the three... cursed and threatened the former,” Riparip said.

The pastors drove away, but when they reached T.M. Kalaw street, police officers and traffic aides flagged them down.

Huang resisted and allegedly intentionally crashed his van several times into a motorcycle driven by traffic aide Reneo Buan.

Riparip said the pastors were eventually arrested and brought to a hospital, where breath tests confirmed they were intoxicated.

Poso said all of them were charged with threat, unjust vexation and disobedience.

Huang, as the van driver, is also facing separate charges of malicious mischief, reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property, assault upon an agent of a person in authority and violating the anti-drunk driving law.