Taxi driver nabbed for allegedly groping 23-year-old female passenger in Cebu City

A taxi driver was nabbed by authorities after he allegedly groped the private parts of a 23-year-old female passenger inside his taxi on Monday, August 28, 2023. | Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines – A taxi driver is now behind bars after he allegedly groped a female medical technology student, who was his passenger on Monday afternoon, August 28, 2023.

Police Captain Mark Don Alfred Leanza, chief of Abellana Police Station, said in his report, that the alleged suspect was arrested after a 23-year-old woman complained about an alleged groping incident that happened while she was onboard a taxi.

Leanza, in his report, identified the alleged suspect as 47-year-old Jose Jenkie Retuerto Engco, married, and a resident of Sitio All Season 3, Barangay Cogon Pardo, Cebu City. 

The complainant was a 23-year-old woman taking up medical technology at a university in Cebu City.

Leanza said the victim told police that the driver allegedly touched her legs and then slowly reached her vagina and her breast while she was onboard his vehicle at around 2:10 p.m. on Monday, August 28, 2023.

He added that the victim boarded the taxi along the Carbon area on her way home to Urgello Street, Cebu City.

However, instead of going straight to her destination, the driver allegedly drove her around for no apparent reason.

With consent says driver

In an interview, the alleged suspect told CDN Digital that they drove to Plaza Independencia, and then to Jones Avenue before proceeding to Urgello because the passenger allegedly requested it.

He claimed that the woman told him that she liked the music he was playing on the taxi’s radio and asked him to stroll around, to which he agreed.

“Ganahan man ko anang radyo imong gipaminaw, suroy suroy sa ta ya,” Engco said quoting the complainant.

The police report showed that upon arriving at her destination, the victim immediately disembarked and proceeded to the Abellana Police Station to file a complaint.

After receiving the report, police personnel immediately proceeded to the alleged suspect’s residence in Barangay Cogon Pardo and arrested him at around 8:00 p.m., said Leanza.

Meanwhile, the alleged suspect claimed that the touching incident was consensual and that it was agreed upon by him and his passenger.

Engco added that he touched the female passenger two times and that he thought it was agreed upon by them.

He said that on her way out, the passenger saw that she only had P100 which is P12 short of her fare, and allegedly told the driver that it was enough because he was able to touch her private parts.

Despite thinking that what happened was consensual, Engco still apologized to the victim.

“Kung naka-violate ko, pasayloa lang ko,” he said.

The alleged suspect was brought to the Abellana Police Station where he is detained pending the filing of appropriate charges at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s office.

He will be facing charges for acts of lasciviousness.    /rcg

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