Eastwood City NO CITY OF ANGELS

As I begin my story, I have to tell you guys that I do accept my responsibility in this incident. Having said that, I believe that my "cooperation" deserves equal and fair treatment too.

Last night, June 27, 2009, Saturday, my husband and a friend went to Eastwood to watch the Transformers movie. The movie ended around 10pm. It took us awhile to get out of the parking building since it was a busy Saturday evening. As I maneuvered my way to the exit towards the new mall from McDonald's area, I noticed a vehicle taking a U-turn towards the Citibank area (this by the junction of the new mall, McDo and a condo). I decided to follow the guy and took a U-turn too. Then, I noticed the orange cone. I thought I probably did a wrong turn but preceeded nonetheless. But I hit the cone. The guard immediately stopped me and I pulled over by the side of the road.

The guard explained I damaged the cone and I should pay for it. Accepting my fault, I said "o.k.". So he radioed base and advised them of the incident. He was told I was to go to the office to file a report but I refused and asked if we could just do it where I was. Another security personnel came and lots of conversation regarding procedure was explained. They also radioed the engineer on duty to ask how much the cone was. The engineer said P2000 but they buy it in sets of seven. I told them I won't be paying for a set because I only damaged one. The engineer eventually came and told me they will ask for a "promissory note" that I will pay for the cone. I made a note which included that upon payment of the damaged cone I should be getting a quitclaim duly notarized and an official receipt from them. They returned the note and asked me to put there that I will be promising to replace it instead because they couldn't give an official receipt. Again, I complied. Although the trouble started when they asked me to give my license to them so they can photocopy it. That, I refused, because even the police and MMDA cannot get our licenses. I didn't want my license out of my site. They already have my complete details , including my car's plate number, and I even gave them my calling card.

They insisted it was procedure. I told them to take a picture of it instead. It was the same as a photocopy. The engineer answered back "alam nyo kung pina photocopy nyo na yan tapos na tayo ngayon". Eventually they accepted that I wasn't going to entrust them my license. Now, I asked them their names, including the engineer who had been rude. He went back to the office by this time. I wanted his name because he was the official representative from Eastwood. The security guards were from agencies after all. Who do I call for the new cone? Where would I deliver it? This was when all the pandemonium began. The engineer refused to give his name. Ha?!!! Eh ang dami nyang hinihirit while he was there... he even told me "maghintay sya dyan, sya tong may kasalanan" He was also the one who quoted the price of the cone!

SG Raymond Vertuza (left) & SO Fernando Garcia (right) from Anti Crime Security Agency

Eventually my husband came (we came in separate cars) and talked to the guards. He was mad at me for damaging the cone but he was standing by me that the engineer should give us his name. It was unfair that I was giving all my PERSONAL information but they couldn't even give me the engineer's freakin' name! The guards told me their names should be enough. I told them they were from agencies and their contracts could be terminated. What do I have to protect myself?!

We were on a standstill. I refused to give anything more without the engineer's name. My husband tried to get pictures of the cone and the "crime scene" but they told him to stop because it was private property. To settle everything, my husband and I wanted to make a compromise, we'll make the letter THEY WANTED, photocopy my license AS REQUESTED, but in return they should give us the name of the engineer BUT THE GUARDS AND THE ENGINEER STILL REFUSED!!!

I really got pissed off and I decided to ask help from other friends to contact the nearest police station. Yes... the one who did the crime (moi!) was the one who needed to call the police! The policeman I talked to who was assigned in P. Tuazon was very accommodating. Thank God! And he understood my predicament. He insisted for us to go to the station for a blotter but the engineer refused to leave his post. On duty raw sya and can't leave Eastwood (all this time he was still in the office and everything was communicated via radio). The police sent a mobile unit instead.

The cops were all in agreement that the engineer should give his name. After all, he was one of the complainants. When they arrived, the engineer eventually came back to the scene. He was medyo mabait na with the police talking to him but he still refused to give his name. Although the guard mentioned his name once... a slip of the tongue maybe... something like EDCEL, EDVEN, EDRIN...

The policemen, PO2 Ben Pilao and PO1 Jupiter Duruin from Station 8 QC recorded everything down. They asked me if I would replace it. I said yes. It wasn't a question of whether I was going to pay or replace the cone because I was willing to do it in the first place. But I just wanted the names of those involved... including the engineer's name who we doubt was really an engineer (mas maayos pa yung itsura nung mga guards kaysa sa kanya). They couldn't compel him to say his name so I'm blogging everything to share the horrible experience I had with Eastwood guards and engineer. The police where also a bit pissed because it was such a small thing, we just needed his name and he still refused. He should own up to his rank and responsibilities right?! Funny thing was, my husband had to ask the engineer the specs of the cone... he couldn't give us the dimensions and all of that. He even told us "kahit hindi parehong-pareho..."... for an engineer you're pretty stupid...

The police allowed us to finally take pictures of the cone. Mukang walang damage noh?! But my husband said, "kahit mukang walang damage, natamaan mo pa rin yan. Palitan na lang."

Mas muka pang damaged itong isa along the road eh. May butas pa! PO1 Duruin pointed this out. I wanted to get a picture of the engineer (he was around 5'3 to 5'5... probably around 160-180lbs coz he was fat with a paunchy stomach... dark skin or maybe looked darker coz it was dark too...) but it might be used against us so we didn't. When all was said and done, we had to remind the guards to give us contact details of the office or person to whom we were suppose to surrender the new cone. Even the corporate addresses they wouldn't give us.

Here's my problem with the whole incident...

1. They keep on insisting policies and procedures but they kept on changing it...

2. The guards kept on saying they were the "spokespersons" but they kept on radioing back to the engineer for instructions. If he was calling the shots, he should be willing to give his name... The guards were nice enough naman...

3. If he was really an engineer, why couldn't he be more specific with the specs of the cone???!!! Kami pa nagtanong... What kind of engineer kaya sya?

4. They have the whole Eastwood management and Megaworld corporation behind them parang mas takot pa sila saken to give information... what were they hiding? I was the one at fault... they had the upper hand... what were they afraid of?

Maybe when they first saw two women in the car very cooperative they thought they could bully us... hah?! I know my rights dude!!! I learned enough from Criminal Law to know that even criminals have rights too!

Another funny thing was, we seldom go to Eastwood! I just had to watch there last night coz I had to practice bowling too for an office tournament. Hubby and I would always go to Powerplant, Rockwell. Hay, stick to Powerplant and Greenbelt na lang. Sana kasi they had bowling again in Powerplant...

I know Eastwood is under Megaworld... we have lots of Megaworld units pa naman. Sir Andrew Tan... you don't know me but... you should have better training for all your people!

Thank you very much to the policemen at Station 8 QC... they were super bait and helpful!