beware taxi cab along ortigas

**x-wind** · June 12th, 2003 01:09 PM

forwarded messages lang po sa akin to but i think dapat ma post ito dito to aware everybody here specially mga nagwork sa ortigas area.
edit ko na rin yun name ng nagkwento.

Dear Friends, share ko lang yung nangyari sakin nung May 28. Ingat kayo sa pagsakay-sakay ng taxi. Sana huwag nyong maranasan itong na-experience ko.

WXXXXXXXXXXXy
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Seven twenty palang ng gabi. Sabi ni Jason sunduin ko na daw sya para sabay na kami umuwi. Siguradong matraffic kasi Wednesday (May 28) tapos maulan pa since morning. So kahit hindi pa tapos yung farewell party naman para sa General Mgr naming, tumakas na ako. After ko mag time-out, palabas na sana ako pero sabi ni Beth (officemate ko) sumabay nalang ako sa kanya kasi may dala syang car, dun nalang daw ako sa antayan ng taxi bumaba. Natawa ako kasi mas matagal pa yung papunta sa parking at paakyat sa labas kesa maglakad ako papuntang abangan ng taxi. Pero sige, ang kulit kasi nya so sumabay ako.

Pagdating sa labas, bumaba ako sa tapat ng ramp paakyat ng Galleria Suites, dito nalang ako mag-aabang ng taxi. Sabi ni Beth aantayin nya ako makasakay. So pumara ako, sabi ko Cainta. Hindi ako sinakay, malayo daw. Hindi ko naman ito kinagulat. Sanay na ako sa mga taxi diver. Out of 100, 3 lang siguro ang hindi namimili ng pasahero.

Inaantay pa din ako ni Beth makasakay, kaso me bwisit na Nissa Patrol na aakyat ng ramp, panay ang busina kay Beth. Sabi ko kay Beth mauna na sya, baka maghumumintado pa yung driver ng Patrol.

So Beth left. By this time medyo malakas ang ambon, e yung umbrella ko naiwan ko sa office, ayoko ng umakyat ulit so hindi ko na binalikan. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, kelangan ko na makakuha ng taxi. Malamang umuusok na ilong ng asawa ko sa inip sa office kakaantay sakin.

Eto na, may parating na 2 taxi. Ayus to, at least kung I-reject ako nung isa, me back-up ako. Yung isang taxi, nakipag unahan pa dun sa isa para isakay ako. Sabi ko Cainta ako, wala namang reklamo, sinakay ako. Pag-upo ko, sabi ko dadaan kami ng Eastwood kasi dadaanan ko asawa ko. Okay pa rin. Sabi ko sa sarili ko “ Swerte ako sa taxi ngayon ah, hindi ako kinokontrata”.

Two meters palang kami nakakalayo sa Galleria, sabi nung driver mag-u –U Turn lang daw sya. Okay lang nama sakin kasi dun talaga ang way ko. Then he asked me to move to the other side of the cab, dun sa likod ng seat nya kasi daw basa yung portion na inuupuan ko (right side of the cab). So I did.

After turning right from ADB Avenue, beside AIG Building, the doors of the taxi suddenly opened. Two men jumped in. I tried to open the door to my left pero sira ang lock. Because I already knew what was happening, my initial reaction was to scream, which I did. Pinakamalakas na sigaw ko na buong buhay ko. The guy who sat beside me elbowed me in the face to stop me. Everything happened so fast. Diniinan yung ulo ko para di ako makagalaw. “Pikit! Pikit! Wag kang gagalaw! Di ka din makakalabas dahil sira lahat ng pinto nitong taxi na ito.”

They instructed me to close my eyes and pretend to sleep. They said that if open my eyes and attempt to look at them, they would shoot me. I could feel my knees trembling. I wrapped my arms around myself to keep me from trembling. They kept telling me to relax. Do not cry, do not try to get attention if I don’t want to get hurt. Nasasaktan lang daw ang mga hinohold-up kasi ayaw maki-cooperate.

Hello? Relax? I was being held at gunpoint and these crazy men are asking me to relax??? Anyway, I closed my eyes and started thinking of how to save myself from this nightmare. I decided that it would be best if I will cooperate.

Siguro napansin nila na heavy na breathing ko at para akong maatake kaya nilibang nila ako. Pinagkwento ako. San ako nagwowork, san nagwowork husband ko. Ilan baby ko, kelan ako nag-asawa. Parang gusto nila akong I-convince na friends ko sila. Nag sorry pa sila dahil daw ako na victimized nila. Ayus!

Sabi nung driver, carnapped lang din yung taxi and that they tied and left the real driver in a vacant lot. He said they came from Mindanao and that they are not really bad people. One of their relatives is in a hospital and they need money badly. I kept my eyes closed as he recites all these crap. I started planning what to say and what to do. I was worried of my asthma and prayed hard not to have a heart or asthma attack and pass out. If I pass out, I’m dead meat; they can do anything to me.

The guy seated next to me asked for my bag. I told them that I will cooperate and my only wish is that they will not touch me. The driver told his companion seated next to me not to touch me and to move away. “ Wag babastusin si Ma’am” Grabe, tinawag pa akong ma’am! Thankfully, the guy beside me moved farther.

As soon as I handed over my bag, they started rummaging through my things. Since my eyes are tight shut, I relied heavily on my other senses to have an idea of what’s happening and what is going to happen. Pinakinggan ko kung naglalagay ba ng bala or nagkakasa na ng baril, kung naghahasa ba ng balisong or naghahanda ng tali. Sa loob-loob ko, wala akong laban sa mga ito, buti pang makisama nalang ako.

The guy beside asked me how much money I have in my wallet. I answered, “ Mga P1000 po.” He said, “Sigurado ka? Pag nagsinungaling ka, babarilin ka namin”. “May mga barya pa po ako dyan, mag P20 at P5”. I told them.

I wasn’t really sure if their gun is “tunay or baril-barilan” lang or if they really have a weapon to use against me, but I told myself that even if they have none, they could still harm me; strangulate, molest or worst, rape me. (Maganda pa naman ako!). Pero the one seated in front told me “Ma’am itatago ko lang itong malaki mong cutter ha, baka gamitin mo ito sa amin eh. “

I felt my knees slowly get weak. Kung kanina, duda ako kung may weapon talaga sila, ngayon sure na ako. Cutter ko pa!

One of them got hold of my ATM cards and asked me how much money I have in each account. At this point, I sank deeper in my seat. These guys are going to get every single cent I have. They asked for my ATM password, and warned me that they will kill me if I lie. The guy beside me asked for a pen so he could write the numbers down, (mahina ang memory, 6 digits lang di ma masaulo!) while his companion seated beside the driver kept rummaging through my bag. He asked me if I have another wallet. I answered that the black one is the only wallet I have. The pouch in my bag is for my make-up.

Naalala ko pa, one of them asked what model and how much yung cellphone ko. Sinasagot ko sila na para lang akong nakikipag-kwentuhan. Sabi ko “3530 po. Free lang po yan sa Globe pag nagpaline kayo. Kaso lang po two years ang kontrata.”

Sabi nung holdaper na isa “ Talaga? May promo palang ganun ang Globe.” “Oo nung March po.” sabi ko naman.

O diba? Interesado pa sa promo!

Matagal pa kaming nag-ikot ikot. “ Ma’am ikot-ikot lang muna tayo ha.” sabi nung driver. “Sige ho.” wala naming akong choice diba? They warned me several times more that I should just cooperate so that they will not hurt or kill me. Pag daw may nakahalata na hinoholdap nila ako, baka daw kami habulin ng police, magkakabarilan at malamang tamaan ako. ****! Posible ito, na gawin akong human shield ng mga taong ito.

Literally, I asked for my life, pero surprised din ako na hindi ako naiiyak o umiiyak pa. To think over 30 minutes na akong hostage ng mga hoodlum na to. Sabi ko “May baby po ako, ilang months palang, inaantay ako sa bahay. Kawawa naman po yun.” Pero poised ako habang sinasabi ko ito, hindi ako umiiyak. Eto lang ang tanging hindi totoo sa lahat ng sinabi ko sa kanila. Pero siguro kung totoong may anak ako, baka dobleng drama ginawa ko.

Mukha namang naantig sila kasi they tried to comfort me. “Panghawakan mo ang salita namin, makakauwi ka sa baby mo. Huwag kang kabahan, mabuti kaming tao.”

Hello? Kung mabuti kayong tao, bakit nyo ako ninanakawan? Pero syempre hindi ko sinabi yung sangkaterbang mura at pambara na normally sasabihin ko. Instead, para akong tanga, panay naman ang thank you ko. Wala ako sa posisyon na makipagtalo o magtapang-tapangan. Ewan ko, pag pala nasa alanganin ang buhay mo kahit si Abu Sabbaya mahahalikan mo.

After 10 more minutes of driving, I felt the car slowing down. Eto na, they are now going to withdraw from my ATM. Sabi nung guy beside me “Ma’am kuha lang kami ng isang libo sa ATM mo, kulang kasi pambili ng gamot yung nasa wallet mo eh.”

Ta$% I_a Mo! Im sure sisimutin nyo laman ng ATM ko. At this point, gusto kong magwala. I am about to lose my job in 2 weeks tapos uubusin pa laman ng lahat ng ATM ko. Pero naisip ko hindi din to worth ng buhay ko. So bumalik ako sa pagkakalma sa sarili ko. Gusto ko na silang makawithdraw para makababa na ako.

When the car finally stopped, sabi nung driver “ Ma’am mag wiwithdraw lang kami ha, me papalit dyan sa katabi mo. Huwag kang mag-attemp na tumakas ha, yang bago mong bantay, addict yan, baka mapatay ka nyan.”

Sobrang kinulabutan ako. Kung totoong addict eto, anytime pwede akong saksakin nito. Siguro pinakamahirap sa situation ko is that I was forced to shut my eyes closed and was forbidden to look at them. I had no idea what will happen next, what they are doing and where they are taking me. Inimagine ko na kung ano gagawin ko pag sinaksak ako, or pag binaril ako. Somehow, I was trying to prepare myself sa worst na pwedeng mangari. I was asking God to protect me, that if ever I get hit, don’t let them hit my head or my face. I started praying the “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” pero ilang ulit ko dinasal yung, wala akong matapos. I kept repeating only the first part lang.

While the other guy is getting money from my ATM cards, the other two made me remove my watch and jewelries. I asked them if they could spare my wedding ring and the ring my lola gave me. Pero mga gahaman talaga, hindi pinatawad.

Pag balik nung nagwidraw nagtanungan sila in a dialect I’m sure is Muslim. Siguro the other two wanted to know how much nakuha nila. Then sabi nung driver “ Uuwi na ba si Ma’am?” “Oo, uuwi na sya. Saan natin sya ibababa?” I was praying na lumipat yung addict na katabi ko sa harap, sa dati nyang pwesto pero nag move na yung car.

So inulit ko yung mga dialogue ko about my family, na good girl and cooperative naman ako. Again, in-assure nila ako na hindi ako sasaktan. Pero they made me promise that once I get out of the car, I will not try to attract attention and that I should not look back at them, otherwise, they will shoot me.

Sabi nung driver nilagyan daw nila ng P100yung wallet ko, pamasahe ko daw. Ang sweet nila diba? Concerned pa sa pamasahe ko. The driver kept asking me if I have an umbrella with me kasi nga malakas ang ulan. Sabi ko wala. They will leave me nalang daw sa isang waiting shed, kasi daw baka mabasa ako ng ulan at magkasakit ako. Grabe, close na close na talaga kami, concerned na sila sa akin masyado.

Sabi ko okay lang na mabasa ako ng ulan, basta makauwi na ako. Tapos humirit ako kung pwede ko bang makuha yung bag ko, pumayag naman, they will even give me back daw my wallet, ATM cards and IDs.

They left me between Ortigas and Santolan MRT station. Malapit sa Camp Aguinaldo. They were kind enough to find a waiting shed for me kasi buhos ang ulan. They gave me back my bag and other things. As soon as I got out of the car, tumakbo talaga ako, kahit na umuulan. At this point, I started to pity myself. Para akong kuting. Pero okay lang, buhay ako. Shocked but unharmed.

Unfortunately hindi ko nakuha yung plate number, masyadong mabilis ang pangyayari. Saka nakapikit ako the whole time. Sa sobrang takot ko, ni hindi ako nag-attempt na sumilip.

I was with these bad elements for one hour. It was the LONGEST HOUR OF MY LIFE. It was a test of courage, presence of mind and faith. Also, I think I have a very good guardian angel, which if I may mention is St. Gabriel.

Ayoko na isipin magkano nakuha nila sa akin. Pero inubos nila laman ng ATMs ko. When I inquired how much was left, I almost collapsed, P16.30! They took everything, including money allotted for our house construction (which unfortunately is not mine, sa Mama ni Jason yun). Sabi ng mom ko, money lang yun. At least they didn’t harm me. She’s right din naman. I thank God that I was able to go unscathed.

Two days na after ng ordeal ko, nagpapalpitate pa din ako. Hindi pa din ako makatulog. Traumatized pa din ako. Siguro, for life na itong trauma na ito. Before this thing happened, very careful na ako..nagyon, siguro triple!

P.S.

The night after the incident, our hotel lady guard got victimized by the same group. Parehong-pareho ang mga ginawa and same spot din sha ibinaba. Paikot-ikot lang mga ito sa ortigas, nag-aabang ng mga kawawang biktima.

Nakuha nung lady guard naming yung plate number. Take note: UNT512, yan ang nakalagay sa body ng taxi. Pero ang plate number UTN512, green ang plate nya. Malamang private vehicle ito na nagkukunwaring taxi para makabiktima.