A roundup of the latest traffic generators
INQUIRER Motoring compiled some of the big stories that went viral on social media recently.
Motorsport aficionado Archimedes “Archie” Rosario King, also owner of the Victoria Court chain of motels, died when his private chopper crashed on a forested area near Mt. Maculot somewhere in Batangas on its way back to Manila last Sunday.
The elder King is survived by his son Ian, whose responsibilities outside their family-owned motel chain include business interests in the aftermarket industry.
Ian is the founder of RWB Manila and Car Porn Racing, a local car tuning specialist.
Big shoes to fill
The younger King now has big shoes to fill as his beloved father, mentor, and supporter passed away, leaving him to run the lucrative motel chain business.
Six passengers including Archie King’s wife Ling-ling, Tina and Ricco Ocampo, Anton San Diego, and Christopher and Patricia Chilip survived the crash. But the pilot, Felicisimo Esteban Taborlupa Jr., did not.
Christopher and wife Patricia have business interests in the automotive industry. Christopher’s family business is Tyremart Inc., the distributor for Toyo and Dunlop tires, while Patricia is the president for Standard Insurance, a nonlife insurance company specializing in properties and vehicles.
Anton is a columnist for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and also the editor in chief of Philippine Tatler magazine.
Ricco and Tina are entrepreneurs in the fashion retail industry.
Drastic turn of Fortuner
Last May, netizens were enraged after a black Toyota Fortuner turned turtle on the streets of BGC and hit pregnant Australian national Jacinta Coote while she was crossing the street.
Later, video footages posted on Facebook and YouTube showed that there were two black Fortuners hitting each other, causing the accident. Apparently these two vehicles were traveling at a high speed in the densely populated area and particularly busy street corner.
Last June, Coote recalled how she felt anger when she saw the accident’s footage. She added that half of her head still felt numb, and she still cannot lift her right arm.
A day after being discharged from the hospital, she and her husband Douglas and about 200 fellow BGC residents staged a rally demanding for safer streets in their community. The mass action was a rarity in the upscale residential and commercial hub in Taguig City.
The police later identified the SUV drivers as Rolando Manese and Anne Alison Soriano, the latter also a BGC resident. The investigation results showed that Soriano’s vehicle accidentally rammed into Manese’s vehicle, which then hit Coote.
The Cootes declined to comment on the status of the case but said that they had yet to receive an apology from both drivers.
Residents strike oil
During the rainy season, Quezon City residents, especially those who live near the Scout area, are wary of flooding, and take extra precaution. What they didn’t expect to find was used grease and oil clogging the drainage system on Tomas Morato, which was partly to blame for the flooding in the area during heavy rains.
This story went viral after Tony Abayon of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Flood Control Information Center issued a warning to restaurants and food establishments in the area during the agency’s weekly radio program, saying that those caught dumping used oil into the drainage would be slapped with a fine ranging from P2,000 to P5,000. Worse, their business permits may also be revoked.
This driver felt the heat
As the photo of a bloodied 15year-old student sitting on a curb after a hit-and-run incident went viral, the driver of the vehicle eventually surrendered the day after, perhaps after feeling the heat when his photos flooded angry netizens’ Facebook pages.
Marcial Mamauag Mejia faces charges of reckless imprudence resulting in physical injury and damage to property, said Senior Supt. Arthur Asis, Taguig police chief.
Jailhouse rock-throwing party
Very soon, throwing rocks at vehicles may soon land you in jail. The House of Representatives justice committee has approved a bill penalizing the act of throwing hard objects at a motor vehicle, whether in motion or not, as long as it damages the vehicle, or worse, kills or hurts passengers.
The committee, chaired by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr., approved House Bill No. 4865, principally authored by Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo C. Fariñas.