The viral road rage incident involving a gun-toting motorist was discussed during a Committee on Public Order and Safety meeting at the House of Representatives today, and new CCTV footage revealed more details about the altercation, including the cyclist’s side of the story.
The clip showed the red Kia Rio driven by dismissed policeman Wilfredo Gonzales swerving into the bike lane along Quezon Avenue and blocking the cyclist’s path as he attempted to continue on his way. Gonzales got out of the vehicle, then proceeded to pull out a gun and physically assault the cyclist, before dragging the bicycle to the side of the road.
ALSO READ:
Keep your cool: What laws are you breaking when you succumb to road rage?
QCPD chief resigns for holding press conference with gun-toting ex-cop in road rage video
The recording of the clip included the commentary of two people—one presumed to be the cyclist, the other unidentified—on the incident: “Dine-deny niya kanina, wala daw siyang baril.”
Apparently, an earlier encounter had triggered Gonzales, the cyclist recalled: “Aminado naman ako na may mali ako kasi pagpasok niya dun, diba pag-angat niyo ’to dun galing sa Blumentritt, paliko sa school? Pumasok siya sa bike lane. Sa green yun eh. Natural dun ako, bike lane yun eh.
“Ginitgit niya ako, tinapik ko yung ano niya para lumabas. Nagalit. Hindi ko na lang po pinansin. Ang nangyari, hinabol niya ako diyan.”
ALSO READ:
Quezon City government promises protection to cyclist in viral road rage incident
Cyclist and motorcycle rider groups reject EDSA bike lane sharing proposal
The cyclist was not present at the House committee meeting and has still not come forward to press charges, but Raymond Fortun, a lawyer and cycling advocate who has filed complaints against Gonzales, submitted documents and gave his testimony.
Among the documents he submitted was a two-page written agreement signed by Gonzales and the cyclist to settle the issue. “In this agreement, it would appear there was a charge and a countercharge,” Fortun told the House committee. “The charge was reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property on the part of Mr. Gonzales, and a countercharge of grave threat by [the cyclist]. ”
Fortun explained that he had contact with the cyclist after the original video went viral: “Later on, when this issue blew up, the cyclist started sending text messages explaining how this agreement came about. I attached a copy of the two texts he sent, wherein he explained that he was forced to pay P500, that what he was being charged with had no factual basis.”
He also received a screenshot of a message allegedly sent to the owner of the original video, which has since been taken down. According to Fortun, the screenshot included a still image from the CCTV footage of the incident: “He was threatened that they know the vehicle that he was on, and that he was the one who took the video, and that ‘baka madamay ka pa sa demandahan.’
“In a very short period of time, the vlogger either deactivated or probably just deleted his entire vlog.”
Below is a recording of the Committee on Public Order and Safety meeting. The discussion of road rage incident begins at 5:38:00.
