Biglang-Sakay Modus Operandi Strikes Again!

We all have displeasures of encountering several bizarre approaches to crime in buses, jeepneys or cabs.  Aside from buses that pose extreme threat because of the size and weight on the road, for someone who regularly takes public transportation, the story below is really a fair warning to all of us.

Gibbs Cadiz, Lifestyle desk editor and editorial writer at the Philippine Daily Inquirer, recently shared on Facebook a very terrifying incident happened to his office mate on a taxi on midnight of August 9, 2014 and got into a grim holdup situation. Cadiz’s office mate who was just in a taxi when two other people boarded it and threatened the passenger – a type of ‘Biglang Sakay’ modus.

The post reads:

PLEASE TAKE EXTRA CARE, EVERYONE. HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED TO AN OFFICE MATE A FEW NIGHTS AGO.

Hi, everyone. I’m posting this as a warning to people who are taking cabs.

I was in a taxi hold-up incident a week ago, involving three men who took my cell phone, cash and cards. I was taken and driven around Metro Manila from Makati to Fairview, while they threatened and intimidated me.

People have offered to help me go after the criminals, but right now I don’t have the energy for it. I’ve used a lot of energy and strength to stay focused and survive that cab ride, so now I’m easily tired. At times, drained. I’m also very frustrated with the state of public safety in the Philippines.

I am unharmed, but in trauma. I’m scared of long drives, dark roads, cabs. I’ve been functioning and working, but jumpy and anxious. The emotions took a while to sink in (never cried in the cab). I’m doing counseling, and I hope to recover in time. I’ve also been needing shawls and jackets because those give me a sense of security. I’m very thankful to family and friends who have been supporting me. If you want to help me, please pray for me.

If sharing among your family and friends, please cut and paste on your wall. I prefer to be anonymous since they have my identification.

INCIDENT REPORT:

I hailed a taxi in Chino Roces Avenue (Pasong Tamo), Makati, past 12 midnight of Aug. 9, 2014. I instructed the driver to take me to Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, via Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia).

He drove through Chino Roces to Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia), but turned left on Malugay Street. Sensing something was wrong, I asked him to take Jupiter. Then he declared, “hold up ’to, huwag kang sisigaw,” while were along Centro Escolar University. Two other men got inside the taxi; one sat beside me at the backseat and placed his arms around me, the other one sat beside the driver.

I screamed and scrambled, trying to get out. Someone shouted: “Huwag kang sumigaw. Makisama ka lang, walang mangyayari sa ‘yo.”

The man in the front seat immediately got my bag and took all my cash, cards and cell phone. We drove around, and the man in front got off what I could recall might be Roxas Boulevard.

The man at the back had his arms around me all the time, commanding me to keep my eyes down at all times. He told me that if anyone sensed something, say, we pass by a checkpoint, I should tell people that he is my boyfriend.

We drove around while they coordinated with a man who withdrew money from using my ATM cards. (Investigation says withdrawals were made in PSBank Greenfield City branch.) I gave them all the pin numbers. They threatened and intimidated me, saying:

“Makisama ka lang, walang mangyayari sa ’yo.”

“Marunong ka ba mag-drive? Kinarnap lang naming ’to, hindi ko nga alam kung buhay pa ’yong driver sa likod.”

“Ma’am maraming salamat sa tulong ninyo. Huwag ka ng manghinayang. Pera lang naman ’yan, kikitain mo rin ’yan, stable naman yata trabaho mo.”

“Papababain ka namin, pero ’wag kang sisigaw, tatakbo o magsusumbong, mababaril ka.”

“Mababait naman kami, kailangan lang talaga namin. Pero siyempre bago kami masaktan, ikaw muna.”

After over an hour of driving and threatening, they released me around 2 a.m., near SM Fairview. I got off the cab, held by the man seated beside me. We were met by another man (who might have been trailing us from another vehicle, and might also be the man who did the withdrawal). He gave me money for fare after I got off the cab.

The other man, still with his arms around me, hailed an Alabang bus, and asked me to board it. Another guy got in and sat at the back, he got off Shaw Boulevard.

I got back to Makati around 3 a.m., shaken but thankful to be alive.

I have reported the incident to Makati Police afternoon of Aug. 9, and the case is under investigation. I’ve identified the taxi as Dean Taxi ETC818, but it has no hit in the LTO according to the police investigator handling the case.

Last year,  the Philippine National Police (PNP) released safety tips to detect taxi scams. Below are the safety precautions:

1. Do not enter a taxi if there is anyone other than the driver inside. Once inside a taxi, check if the doors can be locked from the inside, otherwise you’re vulnerable when the taxi stops in traffic.
2. Ride the backseat or check the backseat to make sure that no one is hiding on the floor, between the seats.
3. Ensure that the doors can be opened from the inside and its inside door handles are functional.
4. Request the driver that the meter be used as there are some instances when a taxi driver might request for a fixed rate instead of using the meter which is illegal.
5. Take a mental note of the license plate number.
6. Once inside the taxi, conspicuously text the number of the taxi to someone or at least pretend to do so. Remember to text back your contact when you have arrived safely.
7. If the driver is unwilling to comply with your requests, it is best to wait for another cab.
8. Also, watch out for “batingting” taxis or those with flawed taxi meter. This is a mechanical or electronic cheating device that makes the meter run twice as fast.

How to detect “Batingting Taxis”

1. Tampered or missing meter seal.
2. Meter only displays fare and not the distance and waiting time (if present).
3. Taxi name, plate number and operator contact number erased at the cab insides.
4. Driver is clicking a switch hidden somewhere.
5. Driver would not usually argue/complain if you pay the usual fare since they know they’re equipped with a faster-than-a-speeding bullet meter.

What to do if confronted with such a situation?

1. Always take note of the taxi name, operator phone numbers, plate number and if possible, take note of the taxi driver’s name and face. It is recommended that you send these bits of information to a friend or relative.
2. Ask the driver to use the meter. If they say that the meter isn’t working or offer any other excuse, don’t get in the cab. If you’re already inside, ask the driver to stop and get out of the vehicle.
3. Make sure to check the meter. Some “batingting” drivers intentionally hold the stick shift in order to block the meter’s line of view.
4. Some drivers tend to keep a minimum speed even when in high-speed areas. This is because the moment they get too fast, the increments will happen at an incredible rate and the meter will show that it is obviously tampered.
5. If any time you notice that the meter is going way too fast, tell the driver to stop and get off the taxi.
6. Report the taxi with defective meter to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board by texting the taxi’s name and plate number to 0921-4487777 or call 426-2515. Sadly, this LTFRB “How’s My Driving” Hotlines are not working. These are the coldest lines in times of need.