Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 10)— While refusing to appear before authorities, the driver of the sports utility vehicle (SUV) that hit and ran over security guard Christian Floralde in Mandaluyong City had reached out to the victim’s camp after the incident.
This is according to Manny Fayre, owner of the Raptor Security Agency that employs Floralde. In a phone interview with CNN Philippines on Friday, he said the driver’s lawyer called them following the incident on Sunday, offering to pay the hospital bill.
“Three days ago pa ‘yan na nagreach out pero we turned them down kasi right away,” Fayre said.
“Well una sa lahat, hindi kasi namin priority na ayusin ‘yang kaso na ‘yan. During the time na tumatawag siya sa amin nasa ICU ‘yung tao namin. I do not know whether my guard can make it or not, so syempre ang priority namin is the welfare first of our security guard,” he added.
[Translation: First of all, it’s not our priority to settle the case. During the time of the phone call our employee was in the ICU. I do not know whether my guard can make it or not, so of course our priority is the welfare of our security guard.]
Medical expenses cost less than ₱200,000, Fayre said.
Floralde was discharged from the hospital Thursday afternoon after four days of confinement.
In a video shared by his security agency, Floralde said he’s still taking painkillers due to abdominal pain. He thanked those who helped him, and said he will pursue the case against the SUV driver.
“Tutuloy ko po yung kaso para makamit ang hustisya na nararapat sa akin (I will continue with the case to achieve the justice I deserve),” he said.
“Sa totoo lang, masama pa rin po ang loob ko sa ginawa niya sa akin. Tinakbuhan niya ako. Hindi man lang siya tumigil bagkus ay iniwanan ako. Pero may Diyos tayo na marunong magpatawad. Diyos na ho ang bahala sa kanya,” he added.
[Translation: To be honest, I still have grudges for what he did to me. He abandoned me. He did not even stop but left me instead. But we have a God who forgives. I’m leaving it up to God.]
On Monday, the police filed a criminal complaint against the SUV owner, identified as Jose Antonio San Vicente, for frustrated murder and abandonment of one’s own victim. The hit-and-run incident was captured on a dashcam video that went viral on social media.
Asked if San Vicente was also the one driving the SUV when the incident happened, Mandaluyong police deputy chief PLTCOL Marlon Mellorca said “Yun po yung presumption natin kasi wala namang lumulutang na driver (That’s our presumption because no other driver has surfaced until now).”
Mellorca said the police are ready to serve the warrant of arrest once issued by the court.
San Vicente skipped the Land Transportation Office’s hearing on Friday – the second time he snubbed the LTO’s show cause order. Officials said the case is now up for resolution even without San Vicente’s side, and that his driver’s license will most likely be revoked. Authorities can also impound his SUV.
“Once the motor vehicle is in the public highways, we can impound that because the case is an impoundable offense – hit-and-run,” said Atty. Clarence Guinto, regional director of the LTO-National Capital Region. He added that the vehicle’s registration remains “under alarm.”
“There will be no transaction – transfer of ownership, change of color, anything,” he said.
