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Cabbie who robbed OFW at NAIA already had past complaints

It was revealed that the taxi driver, who was nabbed by authorities after he robbed a an overseas Filipino worker who had just arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 has already been arrested in 2017 for overcharging.

In the past incident, the driver, 48-year-old Orestes Quizon threatened to hit his passenger with a tire wrench after the latter refused to pay the P1,250 fare, according to media reports.

The passenger said he refused to pay because Quizon was overcharging him.

Two years after the incident, Quizon has put himself behind bars once again, this time after he tried to rob an OFW at NAIA.

According to Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Ed Monreal, the OFW named Karen Mitschel just arrived from Hong Kong and took the suspect’s vehicle, a Shammah taxi with plate number UVV-570, with a companion.

The OFW told the driver to take her and her companion to a bus station and the suspect told his two passengers that the fare would cost P2,400.

Mitschel then said that she needed to make a stop along the way because she had no local currency with her.

When they arrived at a foreign exchange shop, the OFW’s companion stepped out of the vehicle to have Mitschel’s Hong Kong dollars changed to Philippine peso.

However, when the companion got off, Quizon started driving a few meters away then tried to announced the hold-up.

Mitschel then returned to NAIA to report the incident.

She told authorities the driver held her at gunpoint and threatened to shoot at her if she will not surrender her belongings.

Mitschel said she pleaded for her life since she wanted to see her child. The suspect then dropped her off along C5 Road and drove away with her things.

Airport police officials then searched for the taxi driver and they found the suspect’s vehicle abandoned near the airport a few hours later on the same day.

The police impounded the taxi and contacted the operator.

Monreal also sai the fleet of Shammah taxi has been banned from picking up passengers at NAIA.

A representative of the taxi company also clarified that Quizon was a newly hired driver who had not remitted his boundary for two consecutive days prior to the incident.

After the incident, Monreal warned airport passengers, especially OFWs, against taking taxis outside the arrival area of the NAIA terminals.

“Regular white taxis are not accredited by the Miaa, but are allowed to take passengers based on public clamor for a choice to take regular metered taxis,” Monreal said.

“Before the regular white taxis were allowed at the NAIA arrival curbside, many passengers would walk from the arrival area to the departure level or outside the NAIA Complex to get regular white taxis. At least at the MIAA taxi queue, dispatch slips can provide a record of the taxi that the passengers take from Naia,” Monreal continued.

“We remind our passengers to make sure they keep the copy of their dispatch slips or take note of the plate number of the taxi they board for reference in case they have something to complain about,” he added.

The driver will face robbery and abduction cases.

Staff Report

The Filipino Times is the chronicler of stories for, of and by Filipinos all over the world, reaching more than 236 countries in readership. Any interesting story to share? Email us at [email protected]

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