(Eagle News) — The woman who was videoed apparently hitting a taxi driver in Quezon City on December 17 denied she hit him physically, noting also that her reaction was one that any person would have had given the same situation.
In a position paper submitted to the Land Transportation Office, which is investigating the incident, on Wednesday, Cherish Sharmaine Interior said it was the taxi driver, Virgilio Doktor, and not her, who acted “recklessly” on Congressional Ave.
According to Interior, she was on her way to bring her “small children” to a party when she saw the white taxi “tailgating” the car she was driving and “hastily trying to jostle (for) position on the road in order to overtake (her)..”
She said at that time, the taxi did not have enough space to make the move because there were cars parked on the left side of the road.
“This negligent act of the taxi driver almost caused his taxi to bump the car driven by the respondent, therefore endangering the safety of her passengers, especially her minor children..,” she said.
Interior said at this point, she was “constrained to stop” her car so she could get the name of the driver, so she could report this to his operator and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
She said her live-in partner asked Doktor why he almost bumped them, but Doktor instead accused them of cutting his lanes, and “even” took pictures of them.
At one point, she said Doktor eventually admitted that he and his passenger were in a hurry.
“Then the taxi driver tried to escape by moving forward his taxi and by overtaking (my) car Because of this, the taxi hit (my) knee,” Interior narrated.
She said when the taxi driver tried to get off from his taxi, he also hit her live-in partner with his door, and “even called (us) baliw.”
At this point, Interior said she called the number of DMC Transit painted on the taxi’s body twice.
“But despite (my) complaint against the taxi driver, the operator blatantly failed to hear (my) grievance and act positively on the same,” she said.
She said she also called the LTFRB twice, but to no avail.
“(My) reaction therefore is but a natural reaction of a person who is trying to protect her children from possible harm or injury,” she said, emphasizing that she never laid a hand on the driver.
She said she “only pointed” her finger at him when she extended her hand through the taxi window.
As for allegations her car’s registration with the LTO had lapsed, she said she only found out about this when the incident with Doktor happened.
She said she also did not appear before the LTO on December 27 for fear for her life, given the backlash she has been receiving online.