This screengrab from a contributed video shows a doctor (left) being chased by a fellow motorist (middle) and his passenger after a road accident and altercation along Roxas Boulevard in Manila on Thursday morning, Jan 16, 2025. - Screengrab from contributed video courtesy of Glenn Blasquez
MANILA: A doctor was beaten up by a fellow motorist who offered P1,000 as settlement following an accident along Roxas Boulevard in Manila.
Glenn Blasquez, the doctor’s brother, told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview on Friday (Jan 17) evening that the doctor left his condominium along Roxas Boulevard on Thursday (Jan 16) morning to head to his shift at a private hospital in Santa Mesa.
According to the police report, at 6.40am on Thursday, the doctor stopped at the intersection of Roxas Boulevard Service Road and Nuestro Señora De Guia Street, when a sports utility vehicle (SUV) with two individuals on rear-ended his vehicle.
The driver of the SUV alighted to check on the doctor and offered P1,000 as “areglo” (settlement), but the doctor refused the offer and maintained that the incident should be reported to the police.
"It would be better if there was a police report. If there’d ever be an insurance claim, there has to be a police report," Blasquez said in the interview.
However, the SUV driver insisted on not involving authorities, raising his voice and beginning to physically assault the doctor, who called for Blasquez afterward.
One bystander took a video of the incident and sent it to Blasquez, who then shared it with INQUIRER.net.
Police officers in the area broke off the fight and brought both parties to the Ermita Police Station.
The victim was then taken to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) for a physical exam, while the suspect was brought to the Manila Police District (MPD) Medico-Legal Section.
Blasquez said his brother sustained injuries to the back of his head and both of his hands, falling ill on Friday early morning.
"Perhaps, it was because of exhaustion, stress. We spent the whole day at the precinct, PGH. He was made a punching bag. The back of his head also hurt, so we’re waiting on the result of the CT scan," Blasquez explained.
Blasquez said he smelled alcohol on both the SUV driver and passenger but that the results of an alcohol test was still pending.
Further, the passenger was touting that he was the son of a law enforcement officer.
When asked why they did not settle, Blasquez said, "If it was just the car, there’s no problem because money can be replaced. What happened was physical, it wasn’t right anymore."
"What if we had allowed him to just walk away? He might do it again. For us, we want to teach him a lesson," he stressed.
The suspect is under the custody of the Ermita Police Station, facing a physical injury complaint. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN