A 23-year-old man was arrested after he threatened jeepney passengers with an ice pick, thanks to a post on the incident that went viral on social media.
One of the victims, a student, told the Manila Bulletin that the encounter took place around 11:18 a.m. on Feb. 18, along Blumentritt Road when the suspect boarded a jeepney, pulled out an ice pick, and began threatening the passengers with it.
After taking a seat on the right side of the jeep, the suspect started staring at the passengers one by one before demanding money from them.
"Sabi niya, wala raw kaming respeto (He said we had no respect)," she recalled, as the suspect pointed the ice pick at them.
After receiving the money from the passengers, the suspect alighted from the jeep near SM San Lazaro.
The incident was shared online by the victims and it immediately went viral.
The Manila Police District (MPD) quickly responded and was able to use the photos posted by witnesses to track down and arrest the suspect on the same day.
Police said the suspect has a history of targeting public utility vehicles with female passengers.
Authorities have confirmed that the suspect is now in custody and facing charges.