Tarlac City – – A bad premonition for the colorum uv vans?
This came as the “dispatcher” of the colorum UV vans was stabbed dead in broad daylight at a road-side “terminal” along the Mac Arthur Highway, Barangay Sto. Cristo. The suspect, who was cornered by responding policemen in a brief chase, however, committed suicide by stabbing his self.
The actual stabbing of Filoteo Dimatulac, 48, was accidentally caught on video by a Facebook buff Kahlel Dacuma Rilles. Rilles’ uploaded footage has become viral in the Facebook.
According to PSupt Bayani Razalan, city police chief, “Dimatulac was stabbed 12 times with a fan knife while calling passengers for (colorum) UV vans near the Metrotown Mall around noon yesterday”.
Dimatulac has been working as “caller-dispatcher” of the “non-franchised” uv vans plying the Tarlac City-Paniqui route for more than 3 years.
Before the incident, the operation of the more than 160 colorum units was being “vigorously protested” by the Tarlac-Moncada-Gerona-Paniqui Transport Service Cooperative (TAMOGEPA).
The local chiefs of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) here and in Paniqui town became under fire for allegedly “coddling” the colorums since 2010.
TAMOGEPA is asking the ouster of Estella Nicolas, this city’s LTO district officer, and Rogel Yambao, LTO Paniqui District officer,for “allowing the proliferation of the colorum and for refusing to apprehend” the illegal transport vehicles.
Razalan also disclosed that the unidentified assailant fled to a friend’s some 200 meters away from where he stabbed Dimatulac.
“But the responding policemen were surprised when, upon cornering the assailant, he stabbed himself with the same knife he used to stab his victim”, also said Razalan.
Dimatulac was pronounced Dead-on-Arrival at the Jecson Hospital, so with the assailant.
Razalan also ruled out any connection on the TAMOGEPA’s complaint against the colorum.
“Mukhang personal na alitan o atraso ang dahilan ng pananaksak ng suspect. Malayong may connection ‘yan sa reklamo ng TAMOGEPA dahil hindi naman driver o operator ng colorum si Dimatulac”, said Razalan.
Sought for comment, TAMOGEPA chairman Bernie Fajardo said, “Totoong matagal na kaming pinapatay sa gutom ng mga colorum, pero hindi namin kayang pumatay ng kapuwa naming naghahanapbuhay. Kahit anim na taon na kaming galit na galit sa kanila, wala pa kaming sinaktan na driver o binasag na colorum”.
Last Tueday, a TAMOGEPA sent to Davao City office of the mayor their complaint against the colorum to president-elect Rodrigo Duterte after their separate complaints to the regional directors of the LTO and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) were not acted upon.
In a press statement of incoming LTFRB Chairman Michael Delgra, on the other hand, he vowed to apprehend all colorums once he assumes office.
“Kung sana noon pa hinuli na ng mga taga-LTO at LTFRB at mga pulis ang mga colorum, wala sanang taong nagbuwis ng buhay. Ang LTO at LTFRB at mga pulis ang dapat sisihin sa nangyari”, also said Fajardo./ Nelson Bolos FB: Tarlac News Center