Tricycle driver brings 16-year-old passenger to motel, leaves after threat from staff

A 16-year-old boarded a tricycle to go home. Instead, the driver took her to a motel.  

According to a "24 Oras" report by Bea Pinlac on Friday, the 16-year-old victim rode the tricycle along Marcos Highway as she made her way home from a part-time job.

However, she said that she started getting suspicious after the tricycle suddenly made a U-turn, away from the direction of her home.

 “Sabi ko po sa kanya, ‘Kuya, ibaba niyo po na lang ako dito kasi di naman po ako dito nagpapadala’. Ang ginawa niya naman po, binilisan niya lalo yung takbo ng tricycle niya. Natatakot na po ako noon, kasi di ko na po alam gagawin ko,” the victim said.

(I told him, ‘Kuya, just let me get off because this isn’t where I wanted to go’.  All he did was speed up his tricycle. I got scared, because I didn’t know what to do.)

 “Nahinto sila doon sa isang hotel na papasok sana siya doon para magcheck-in siguro, kaso itong biktima nagpapalag,” added Barangay Mambugan Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) officer Rodina Juliano.

(They stopped at a hotel where he intended to check in, but the victim resisted.)

Based on information from the barangay officials, the suspect left the victim outside to pay at the front desk.

CCTV footage of the incident showed the suspect putting his arm around the victim and claiming to be her boyfriend, which the victim denied.

“Hinila niya po ako, tapos pumasok po kami sa hotel. Hihingi po sana ako ng tulong kaso natakot po ako sa kanya. Nagbabayad po siya pero di po tinatanggap ng cashier yung bayad niya kasi di ko nga naman po yun kilala,” the victim said.

(He dragged me, and we entered the hotel. I wanted to ask for help, but I was scared of him. He was trying to pay but the cashier didn’t accept his money because I didn’t know who he was.)

“Noong hindi tinanggap ang bayad, sabi ng cashier na ‘Pag pipilit ka sir, tatawag ako ng barangay’. Ngayon, nung sinabing tatawag ng barangay, kinuha niya yung pera sabay alis. Sumakay ng tricycle. Iniwan ang biktima doon,” Juliano continued.

(When his payment wasn’t accepted, the cashier said ‘If you keep insisting sir, I will call the barangay’. When he heard that she will call the barangay, he took his money and left. He rode his tricycle. He left the victim there.)

Meanwhile, the victim was able to message her family’s group chat for help when she was in the tricycle, but she wasn't able to respond about her whereabouts

“Hindi ko po alam kung buhay pa ba siya or ano po… ‘Yun po agad ang pumasok sa isip ko eh, kaya nagmadali po talaga kami na puntahan kung saan po siya. Paano nalang kung may nangyari sa kanya na hindi maganda?” said the victim’s mother.

(I didn’t know if she was still alive or what… That was what was in my mind, so we immediately went to where she was. What if something bad had happened to her?)

The victim’s family is coordinating with the Tricycle Operators and Drivers Associations (TODA) and authorities to identify the suspect based on his tricycle’s body number. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/LDF, GMA Integrated New