Tuesday, August 19, 2008
ON RIDING JEEPNEYS AND HOLDUPS
These days, ever since the price of gas has skyrocketed, I have been riding the jeepneys more so than usual.
Commuting via public transportations certainly has its pros and cons. For one thing, it's cheaper to ride a jeepney than drive to downtown Manila. A whole day's parking fee alone can set me back a hundred pesos, though unarguably, it's more convenient and safer to drive my car than ride a jeepney full of strangers, especially after dark.
As in any large metropolis anywhere in the world, there is always the chance of getting mugged; therefore, I've prepared myself to give up whatever item is demanded from me. I know that even a moment of hesitation may tick off a nervous thief. Making a habit of not carrying anything of great value whenever riding a jeepney or bus helps in this respect.
I've also psyched myself not to negotiate with a perpetrator should I find myself in a stickup situation aboard a jeepney. Chances are, he's strung out on shabu (methamphetamine) and that he's accompanied by one or two similarly drugged-out accomplices; not to mention that more than likely, they would also be armed with weapons that can inflict serious harm, or worse, end my life at an instant.
Nevertheless, for some people, especially the young ones, the shock of finding one's self in such volatile situation -- coupled with the disgust they suddenly feel for someone trying to rob them -- might impel them into a momentary lapse of reason; thus, we'd hear about young people getting seriously hurt, if not killed altogether, for resisting to give up their prized possessions.
About a year or so ago, a young UP coed was shot to death when she refused to give up her cell phone, while more recently, a 23-year-old graduate of the Ateneo de Manila -- Tara Santelice -- was shot in the head by a thief whom she wrestled with to keep her bag that contained a laptop. Both incidents took place aboard a public utility vehicle.
The following is a GMANews report by Johanna Camille Sisante about this tragic incident:
08/06/2008 | 08:56 AM MANILA, Philippines - A 23-year-old woman is now in critical condition after being shot in the head early Wednesday morning after she attempted to wrestle her laptop away from a thief in Cainta, Rizal. A report by radio dzBB’s Sam Nielsen said the unidentified thief used a .38 caliber pistol to shoot the victim identified by the Cainta police as Tara Santelices (not Dara Santeneces as earlier reported) of Brookside Subdivision in Cainta town. Santelices’ companion Joyce Mejias, who was riding the Marikina-bound jeepney with the victim at the time of the incident, said the suspect declared a holdup while the jeepney was moving along Felix Ave. in Cainta. But when the victim tried to wrestle back her bag containing a laptop, the assailant immediately shot her, took some of the passengers' bags and immediately fled the scene.
My heart goes out to Tara, as well as to her family and close friends. I wish her a speedy and full recovery.
You may read more about her story here.
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Related link:
JUSTICE FOR TARA SANTELICES: Better Crime Prevention
JUSTICE FOR TARA SANTELICES: Better Crime Prevention
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I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
Thank you!
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Labels: crime story, life in Manila
posted by Señor Enrique at 10:01 AM
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