Lapu village volunteer faces relief for clash with cabbie

Inocencio Roa (right) explains his side to Pajo Barangay Captain Junard Chan and local media on last Saturday’s confrontation with a taxi driver at the Mandaue Mactan Bridge.
CDN Photo/Norman Mendoza

A member of Lapu-Lapu City’s City of Lapu-Lapu Allied Force (CLAF) faces dismissal after being shown in a viral video to have acted rudely towards a taxi driver last Saturday.

CLAF member Inocencio Roa, a resident of Sitio Paradise in Barangay Pajo, Lapu-Lapu City, went to Pajo Barangay Captain Junard Chan to explain his side on the incident yesterday.

A cell phone video of the incident recorded by a female taxi passenger showed Roa blocking the taxi and confronting the taxi driver, banging on the window and demanding that the driver face him.

Roa was in civilian attire and showed his ID to the taxi driver, then tried to open the taxi door on the driver’s side several times as he repeatedly demanded that the driver face him.

The female passenger got scared by Roa’s threats, and the taxi driver calmed her down right before Roa stormed off.

The female passenger posted the video on social media, and netizens vented their ire on what they considered to be Roa’s arrogant behavior.

The video reached Mayor Paz Radaza, who scheduled a meeting with Basak Barangay Captain and CLAF chief Isabelito “Kap Belong” Darnayla to talk about the incident.

“I will refer him to Kap Belong, but abusive persons like him don’t have a place in the government,” Radaza said.

In a meeting with Chan, Roa claimed that he and his sister were headed to the outermost lane along ML Quezon highway on board a motorcycle when he was nearly hit by the taxi.

Roa said his sister shouted in panic and he dropped her off before chasing down and blocking the taxi near the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge. He denied being drunk at the time, saying he wasn’t a drinker.

Roa said he was just furious at the taxi driver for nearly hitting him and his sister and he wants to apologize to him.

He said he is willing to accept any sanction imposed on him.

Chan told reporters that he always reminded CLAF members assigned to his area to always be courteous and patient in dealing with others since they are persons of authority.

“The video showed what he did was wrong and he ruined CLAF’s reputation. I will no longer intervene on his behalf,” Chan said in Cebuano.