Missing taxi driver resurfaces, claims Carl was arrested alive
The taxi driver, who was allegedly held up in Caloocan City by former University of the Philippines (UP) student Carl Angelo Arnaiz resurfaced in Quezon City yesterday with a shocking revelation – his 19-year-old
assailant was arrested alive by police last August 18.
Calm and composed as he faced media late yesterday in Quezon City, taxi driver Tomas Bagcal, 54, vowed to help the Arnaiz family attain justice for their son’s killing.
Bagcal, who revealed that he had been in the protective custody of the group Rise Up for Life and for Rights all this time, said he had to “disappear” because of fear for his life following the ransacking of his apartment by armed men.
Speaking to media and readily answering questions from reporters, Bagcal said that after soul-searching, he was now ready to reveal all that he knows about that fateful night and face investigation by the Senate and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Fake affidavits The taxi driver made it clear that he had not given any account of what happened to authorities and disowned the two supposed affidavits he executed to police. He confirmed though that it was his signature in both affidavits – one dated August 18 and the other, August 29.
“May ano doon, eh. Hindi iyong totoong statement iyon eh (Something’s wrong. That statement was not true),” said Bagcal.
“Nung ginagawa ang affidavit, pangalan, edad, birthday, at ORCR (official receipt/car registration) lang tinanong nila sa akin. Pinapirma na lang nila ako (When the affidavit was being made, police only asked for my name, age, birthdate and ORCR. They just made me sign it),” he added.
The holdup Bagcal said that Arnaiz had held him up while they were cruising along C-3 Road. He said he put up a fight and Arnaiz fired a gun inside the cab during the scuffle.
At some point, Arnaiz got out of the cab and Bagcal said he chased the teenager until he (Arnaiz) was cornered by concerned citizens.
The cabbie said concerned citizens who helped him accost Arnaiz even mauled the teenager.
“Pinigilan ko nga po sila nung binibugbog nila siya (I stopped them when they started mauling him),” Bagcal said.
He was alive’ Arnaiz, Bagcal said, was taken to the police station alive.
According to the taxi driver, Police Officers Jeffrey Perez and Ricky Arquilita took him and Arnaiz to the police station on C3 Road – the Police Community Precinct (PCP) 2 of the Caloocan City Police.
Bagcal said he accompanied police who took Arnaiz to the police station after the teenager tried to rob him.
“Dinala ko siya sa police station nang buhay... Si Carl po ’yun. (I took him to the police station alive... It was Carl),” the driver told media.
And then the next thing he knew, gunshots were fired and Arnaiz was dead.
“Nakita ko siyang (Arnaiz) naglalakad. Tapos a few seconds, may putukan na akong narinig (I saw him walking. Then, after a few seconds, I heard gunshots),” Bagcal recalled.
What cops wanted Bagcal also revealed that police asked him to implicate a 14-year-old boy in the robbery.
However, he declined to give further details or even confirm if that boy was Reynaldo de Guzman, alias “Kulot,” whose stab-riddled body was found last week in Nueva Ecija.
Bagcal said he will provide all the information before the proper forum.
Why just now?
Bagcal said that since the report of Arnaiz’s death broke out, there was extreme pressure on him and members of his family. His apartment was ransacked by unidentified men.
So, he sought he protection of Rise UP for Life and for Rights – a network of church people and human rights advocates dedicated to working with poor families affected by drug-related extra-judicial killings.
“Rise Up has responded in the affirmative to the request of the family for protective custody and provided sanctuary during the period of Mr. Bagcal’s serious discernment, soul searching, and firm decision-making,” the press release posted on the group’s official Facebook account stated.
As father, Bagcal said, that he will help the family of Arnaiz attain justice, saying he will tell the truth in the Senate hearing.
“Isa akong tatay din. At masakit sa isang ama na mawalan kasi ako may mga anak din akong lalaki,” teary-eyed Bagcal assured the family.
Staged crime scene
Last Saturday, the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) said the crime scene where cops claimed Arnaiz traded shots with them, resulting in his killing, staged.
“There’s really no evidence to support ang narrative na doon siya (Arnaiz) napatay… Mukhang tinapon lang ang body niya roon sa pinapakitang crime scene. It was staged (There’s really no evidence to support the narrative that he was slain there… It seems that his body was just dumped in the said to be crime scene. It was staged ),” Dr. Erwin Erfe, PAO’s forensic laboratory director, told The Manila Bulletin.
Yesterday, Bagcal also said that the crime scene was staged by the policemen.
“Naniniwala ako na scripted o staged (I believe it was scripted or staged), he said.