There was a time in the not so distant past when a gang of rapists would drive along highways and kidnap young women to rape them inside a van. The situation became so notorious that the the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) offered a P200,000 reward for whoever can catch them. After that, the news seemed to die down. Until now.
A WhenInManila.com writer shared this story about how his friend almost fell victim to this modus. According to him:
My Japanese friend almost got pulled-in and raped inside a roaming van in Ortigas this morning, near Crown Plaza Hotel. A person in the van pretended to be asking for directions then they tried pulling her in when she came nearer.
Luckily, she was able to fight back and escape.
Scarily, this incident is still common. A woman on Facebook shared a similar incident that happened recently:
I was waiting for jeep to go to my morning duty at the hospital. I was waiting along Taft Avenue near UN Avenue. Then suddenly a white van stopped in front of me and the window on the passenger side was opened. I saw 3 guys, the driver and the passenger beside the driver, then the other one at back. The driver asked me where is PGH, while his companions in the van also looking at me. Maybe they were expecting me go nearer but thankfully I didn’t because I’ve read about this kind of situation before for raping or kidnapping.
It’s still not clear whether it’s just one group, but what’s clear is they’re targeting women walking along busy roads.
For women, it pays to always be aware of your surroundings and not get too close to vehicles asking for information.
What can we do to protect ourselves? Share your thoughts below!
