UPDATE:
The suspect's last name has been identified by the local news as Ricafort. A quick search in Facebook shows a Karlou Ricafort profile where the photos match the image shown by the local TV news a night before.
Even after Ricafort allegedly forced the female passenger to perform oral sex and to touch his genitals, he still wanted to get the PHP 300 (around $6.5) fee paid by the victim. There is no comment on Ricafort's side yet but his FB profile shows that he already has a girlfriend who also appears to be pregnant.
Ricafort's girlfriend posted on Facebook urging people to pray for him and to hear his side of the story. She adds that the truth will come out and that those who did wrong will be punished.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Uber is dealt another blow as an Uber driver from the Philippines allegedly tried to rape a 22-year-old female passenger during an afternoon but the victim fortunately escaped.
Just as Uber was gaining traction along with Grab as transportation apps in the Philippines, the news could, once again, taint their good names. In 2015, an Indian court has found an Uber taxi driver guilty of the rape charges filed against him by a 26-year-old woman.
The Filipino Uber driver picked up the female passenger in Quezon City at around 2:30 in the afternoon. At first, the woman was sitting in the back but the driver insisted that she sit in the front so that they can share stories.
After several minutes, the Uber driver reportedly tried to force the woman to touch his genitals and to perform oral sex by pulling her hair. The official report filed in the local police station in the district was identified as Xstian Karlou John Marie, Inquirer has learned.
Uber refused to name the driver but the company said that they have already removed him from their platform. The company also added that they are willing to help the authorities in the investigation.
The local Philippine television news reports has reported that Karlou remains at large as he is still nowhere to be found. One of the Uber driver's school batch-mates claims that Karlou had already shown signs of excessive libido several years back by allegedly masturbating while inside the classroom.
Uber officials and the driver are required to attend a hearing on August 10 with the Land Transporation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Coconuts Manila reported. LTFRB board member Ariel Inton expressed his dismay as passengers using the company's services would not be able to quickly file complaints against their drivers because they do not disclose the identities.
While many rapists attempt to seek victims at night, the Uber driver incident in the Philippines shows that they do not choose a time for their urges. Passengers, both male and female, are advised to text the plate number of the cab or car they are riding in to their loved ones.