Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 20) — A female motorist who is seen in a viral video hitting a taxi driver faces charges including physical injury.
Taxi driver Virgilio Doctor, 52, of Malabon City filed charges of unjust vexation, malicious mischief, and physical injury against private car owner Cherish Sharmaine Interior, 31, with the Quezon City Prosecutor’s office on Tuesday. A copy of the Investigation Data Form and his sworn statement were obtained by CNN on Wednesday.
Interior is said to be a woman in a viral video that made rounds on social media over the weekend. The altercation between the cab driver and the female motorist happened December 17 along Congressional Avenue in Quezon City. She is seen in the video confronting Doctor, raising her voice at him, and hitting him from outside his car.
The video was recorded by a certain Joshua Baluyot, said Doctor in his sworn statement.
In Doctor’s account of the incident, he said he had attempted to overtake Interior’s Gray Honda Civic during the incident.
“Dahil sobrang bagal neto, minabuti kong mag overtake. Pero pagkatapos kong mag overtake, ay biglang nag overtake din ito at hinarang niya mismo ang sasakyan niya,” he told Quezon City Police Station 3.
[Translation: Because the car was so slow, I decided to overtake. However, when I overtook her, she overtook me and blocked my taxi with her car.]
He said Interior stepped out of her car, swore at him, and hit his taxi with a small pipe.
When Doctor rolled down his window to say sorry, she punched him on the cheek.
“Nong i-roll down ko yung bintana ng aking taxi, nag-sorry ako pero bigla nalang niya akong sinuntok sa mukha sa kaliwang pisngi na para akong nahilo dahil nagulat ako,” he said in his sworn statement.
[Translation: I said sorry when I rolled my window down but she punched my left cheek, which made me go dizzy.]
In the video, Doctor who said he suffered a stroke in 2014, is seen stepping out of the car holding his cheek looking dazed. He then sat down on the sidewalk before returning to his car.
The altercation ended after a policeman arrived at the scene and Doctor went for a medical checkup at the Quezon City General Hospital.
After this, Doctor went to the barangay hall and the police station, where he saw Interior again.
“Nadesisyon po akong magpunta dito sa himpilan ng Police Station 3 upang maaksyonan ang nangyari, at upang mairefer ang reklamo sa mas mataas na sangay ng pamahalaan,” he added.
[Translation: I decided to go to Police Station 3 to act on what happened and so I can refer my complaint to higher levels of government]
Aside from the charges he accused her of in his complaint, Doctor is also seeking the cancellation of Interior’s driver’s license. He filed Monday a complaint at the Land Transportation Office (LTO) accusing her of violating Section 27 (a) of the Transportation and Traffic Code.
In his complaint before the LTO, he said Interior had hit his car with a golf club instead of a pipe.
“The respondent also alighted, armed with golf club and striked/ smashed the unit several times and tried to break the side mirror, which caused undetermined amount of damages, ” the complaint said.
He claimed Interior “wilfully caused” physical injury and damage to property, in addition to disregarding traffic regulations.
He added Interior disregarded his age and medical conditions.
Doctor’s counsel, Atty. Ariel Inton said a hearing is scheduled at the LTO for December 27. On this date, Doctor is expected to present himself to the LTO as well for a medical check-up to determine his fitness to operate a motor vehicle.
Interior has yet to issue a statement regarding the incident. However, several unverified Facebook pages have popped up and claimed to be her.
Her employer, VXI Waltermart Global Holdings B.V said it is investigating the incident.
“We denounce in the strongest possible terms any act of maltreatment or abusive behavior proven to have been committed by any employee,” it said.
