May 23, 2002
Maybe this gut is from Miami? LOL
Afro-American mauls Cebuano cab driver
CEBU -- Apparently offended because a taxi overtook him from his right, an American national allegedly mauled the taxi driver in full view of several people on corner Llorente St. and Osmeņa Blvd., Cebu City Wednesday afternoon.
However, it is driver Bienvinido dela Victoria, 56, who ended up behind bars at the Fuente Police Precinct after responding policemen caught him holding a .38 revolver
Dela Victoria suffered bruises and a cut below his right eye from the punches thrown by George Wesley Dayis.
He said his gun was his last choice in defending himself because Dayis is much stronger, younger and taller. The American is 6'5" tall while dela Victoria is only 5'7" tall.
"He was too big for me. His punches always found my face no matter how much I tried to duck," said the driver, recalling how Dayis, a 32-year-old African-American, mauled him.
He filed a case of attempted homicide against Dayis, but his case failed to stop the American from leaving the detention cell of the Fuente Police Precinct because Dayis was able to post a P80,000 bail.
Overtaking of vehicle triggered the fight at 12:30 p.m.
Dayis was reportedly driving his orange multicab slowly on Llorente St., a one-way road, at 12:30 p.m. when dela Victoria overtook from the right.
Dela Victoria was tailing Dayis for more than five minutes and, apparently, became impatient with the American.
After dela Victoria overtook him, Dayis reportedly stepped on the accelerator and bumped the taxi's rear.
Surprised, dela Victoria stopped, but before he could disembark, Dayis rammed his vehicle into the taxi's left side.
Fearing the foreigner would hit him again, the taxi driver decided to stay inside his unit. When the American got off his multicab and walked towards him, he opened the left window so he could talk with the foreigner.
Dela Victoria said that when he asked the American why he bumped his taxi twice, Dayis berated him for overtaking from the right, which is not allowed in the US.
"After that, he started punching me. He also tried to strangle me," dela Victoria said in Cebuano.
He got out of his vehicle to avoid further attacks, but Dayis ran after him until he was cornered.
While the American was hitting him, four policemen from the Mobile Patrol Division arrived and took hold of the foreigner, giving him the chance to get back to his taxi.
Dela Victoria then took out his .38 revolver under the driver's seat in case the American would go near him again.
"I was afraid because he was so strong. The four policemen could hardly keep him still," dela Victoria said.
But because he failed to show a license for his gun, the four policemen arrested him for illegal possession of firearms. AIV/Sun.Star Cebu
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
