‘I know I will disappoint some of my friends who had been commenting on what they think a proper penalty should be for Ms. All Black.’
LAST Sunday, at around 10: 30 a.m., I was driving my FJ from Osmeña turning left to Quirino in the Paco area when I was rear-ended by a Mitsubishi Mirage. The car kept speeding despite being flagged by traffic enforcers in the area; apparently, before me, two other cars had been hit but whoever was in the car was trying to get away with it.
A little over two hours later, I was at the Sta. Ana PNP station because, I was told, the driver had been apprehended. There, I saw three young ladies differently attired but all heavily made up and smelling like they tried out all the samples in the fragrance section of Rustan’s. There was one, just a tad chubby-cheeked, in a tight-fitting all-black attire; she looked tired and sad and teary-eyed. There was a taller one in the shortest of shorts that you can wear legally without causing alarm and scandal; she had costume jewelry, had a handbag, and was acting like the leader of the gang. Finally, there was the one clearly the youngest, who was looking to the two others, especially the taller one, for cues and guidance.
It was that tall one, who I labeled “Ate,” who was trying to take control. She told me as well as the others who came to complain that 1) she would pay for everything; 2) she had a casa, and 3) she wanted this settled to avoid complications.
Turns out that “complications” meant seeing the incident blow up because the tired, despondent and teary-eyed girl in all black was the driver and she 1) had no license: 2) was intoxicated; 3) hit and run maybe six or seven of us; 4) was driving Ate’s car that was not insured and, most importantly 5) had a councilor boyfriend who was not only running for re-election, he was married. And that’s why it was Mr. Councilor who wanted this settled, I figured for at least three reasons: 1) wifey didn’t know about this girl; 2) this girl went on a rampage because, apparently, he had another girl; and 3) if he is who I am told he is then his “God first” campaign slogan would be a joke.
Anyway, so there was Ate, telling one and all she would pay for all the damages but making me wonder how she would do that if her jewelry couldn’t be pawned and she couldn’t even pay for car insurance.
What’s worse, she was telling an elderly couple whose jeepney had been hit that she was going to give them an IOU to assure them they would be paid. I heard them talking in a corner while I was half-listening to the heartbreak story of a scorned mistress. Even one of the cops voiced his concern: in Filipino, he told all of us that if we all were to agree to a settlement and sign a waiver and then the other party didn’t comply, we could not go back to the PNP and complain.
And then another PNP personnel said we all would have to troop to the traffic division office so statements could be taken and the proper complaint could be drawn up. Where was that, I asked. Along A. Bonifacio, I was told, near La Loma Cemetery. Upon hearing, this the elderly woman (who I’ll call Lola) groaned. That’s too much of a hassle, she said.
I stood up, went outside the police station and talked to the young men whose motorcycle had been damaged. Will you settle, I asked them, because Lola inside wants to settle this thing. They said yes, said they were happy with P3,500 (I said “make it P5k”) and we walked in.
I then interrupted Ate and the elderly woman and said “either we settle this here and now or we all troop to La Loma.” Ate said she was willing to settle so I asked Lola how much she wanted and she said P5,000 after consulting her husband. I turned to Ate and said, “Give Lola P5k and give the boys here P5k too…” and she interrupted telling the boys she had a casa and the damage wasn’t P5k. Their demand went down to P3.5k. So I said again, pay them that then settle with me. And Ate said okay, she was ready to sign an undertaking.
That’s when I said “Oh, no, no undertakings. Pay them, now, in cash. As for me” – (here I was thinking my repair bill would cost P20,000) – “I’m asking for P10,000 but don’t give it to me, give P5,000 to Lola and P5,000 to the boys.” Ate hesitated and I reiterated – if you want this settled now, pay them now. She looked harassed, then said she was going to look for an ATM asking for a police escort. No one volunteered. Ms. All Black volunteered to go but the PNP told her she wasn’t going anywhere. So the third one, the innocent one, walked out with Ate while the latter was on the phone speaking to someone (councilor?) maybe telling him what the deal was – or how much she needed.
Finally, after maybe 20 minutes or so she came back. Because the PNP told us that any settlement could not be done inside the station, we walked out. First, Ate handed over P5,000 to Lola and then another P5,000 and they posed for posterity like Lola had won a raffle or something. Then the young men posed with P8,500 in their hands as they stood next to Ate. And then I gamely posed with Ate who didn’t seem too happy but also seemed partly relieved.
Partly, because as we were doing our “picture-picture” two more parties arrived to complain.
I know I will disappoint some of my friends who had been commenting on what they think a proper penalty should be for Ms. All Black. But we were all tired and, thankfully, no lives or bodies were harmed. So we all just wanted to go home.
And frankly, the “areglo” didn’t end it for Ms. All Black, who for sure has to deal with the Lothario and his new girl. As for the Honorable Councilor Lothario, while his private life is his own lookout, if indeed he is the re-electionist running on a “God first” platform, then someone has to tell him that God surely isn’t too happy with how he puts this principle into practice!
His bigger problem: if they don’t know yet. Will his wife and kids find out? From his political rivals, maybe?
Now that would require a much bigger areglo!
(PS. Toyota sent me the repair estimate – P40,641.06 for parts, labor, and all.)
