CEBU, Philippines - The taxi driver accused of threatening his passengers with a knife after he was asked to honor a P10 flagdown reduction yesterday faced his accusers before the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7.
Joel Ramos, driver of SD Taxi, denied the allegations and challenged his accusers to present the CCTV footage taken from the security camera of the establishments at the Cebu I.T. Park where the alleged incident happened.
“Naa man gyud nay CCTV ang I.T. Park, ipatan-aw nila og naa ba koy dala nga kutsilyo. Ako pa man gani ang nagsulti niya nga kung naa kay reklamo adto reklamo sa LTFRB,” Ramos said.
Ramos, 47, from Consolacion town, said it was not true that he threatened Dave Say Horca and his wife with a knife.
“Di na tinuod nga giti-unan nako siya og kutsilyo. Wa na nahitabo,” Ramos said.
Ramos explained that it was Horca who got mad why his taxi meter was not yet recalibrated.
“Wa ko nani-on niya. Nasuko na siya nganong wa pa ma calibrate akong taxi nga niubos na man ang pletehan. Ako-a siyang gi-ingnan nga wa pa na ma-calibrate tungod sa kadaghan sa mga taxi,” said Ramos.
Ramos, who has been a taxi driver for the past seven years, said he will consult his operator whether or not to file a criminal complaint against Horca.
“Iyaha man kong gipakauwawan sa iyang Facebook. Hasta ang taxi sa akong amo iyaha mang gi-apil. Unya ingon pa gyud siya sa iyang Facebook nga iyaha kong paputlan og ulo,” Ramos said.
Horca wrote in his Facebook account, “Mga ing-aning tawo ang dapat pugutan ug ulo sa ISIS!”.
He narrated in his Facebook account how he and his wife were treated by the driver.
“Gilabay niya ang duha ka singko sa amo then ni aksyon kuha og knife. May na lang naablihan na namo ang door sa taxi then kagawas mi dayon.”
LTFRB-7 director Rey Elnar has directed both parties to present witnesses in the next hearing to support their respectively claims. Elnar, however, has yet to schedule the next hearing.
Elnar said the result of their investigation will be forwarded to the Land Transportation-7 for proper action.
On Monday, the LTFRB started to implement a P10 reduction in the flagdown rate for taxi. (FREEMAN)