American national arrested for fatal hit-and-run in Alcantara

[scott h]

3 hours ago, gbmmbg said:

The 2 families signed a affidavit of desistance

My wife has long said that poorer families look at accidental deaths are looked upon like winning the lottery. They just hope that the one responsible has deep pockets.

Reminds me of an old story out of the Vietnam war. 4 brothers from a poor family all joined up at the same time, all volunteered for combat posts, odds were one of the 4 would get wacked, supposedly one did and the rest bought a family farm with the insurance payment. True or not, who knows...same mindset.

[Possum]

18 hours ago, scott h said:

Reminds me of an old story out of the Vietnam war. 4 brothers from a poor family all joined up at the same time, all volunteered for combat posts, odds were one of the 4 would get wacked, supposedly one did and the rest bought a family farm with the insurance payment. True or not, who knows...same mindset.

I was in SE Asia when the US was there in 1970+. I eventually understood the thinking but it took me awhile to get there. If you and your family have survived on nearly nothing for a LONG time, seen your younger brothers and sisters die because there was not enough food or there was sickness and the thought of being able to afford medical care was a fantasy it changes your thinking. Your life expectancy in your mind becomes meaningless. If your death would improve the lot of your family, no problem as you are already lucky to have lived to be 20 years of age. We are lucky because we have never had to contemplate such a life but understanding the mindset is crucial if one wants to live in a developing country

[hk blues]

31 minutes ago, Greglm said:

I was in SE Asia when the US was there in 1970+. I eventually understood the thinking but it took me awhile to get there. If you and your family have survived on nearly nothing for a LONG time, seen your younger brothers and sisters die because there was not enough food or there was sickness and the thought of being able to afford medical care was a fantasy it changes your thinking. Your life expectancy in your mind becomes meaningless. If your death would improve the lot of your family, no problem as you are already lucky to have lived to be 20 years of age. We are lucky because we have never had to contemplate such a life but understanding the mindset is crucial if one wants to live in a developing country

I'm not so sure it's so true nowadays, at least not here in the Philippines.  I don't doubt that the financial benefits of a death are more relevant here than in our countries maybe but not so much a lottery win as a welcome compensation.  

[Tommy T.]

On 5/29/2023 at 11:57 AM, OnMyWay said:

After he passed, I got behind him and flipped on my high beams, as a show of respect!  

Be careful of road rage! There seems to be a lot of that here I have observed. You so much as put a tiny scratch on someone's Toyota Hilux and there's a good chance you will be beaten up or shot!

[Rooster]

On 5/29/2023 at 3:23 PM, gbmmbg said:

Well it looks like he is going to get away with it. The 2 families signed a affidavit of desistance, so most likely charges will be dropped.

The common misconception about the affidavit of desistance is that it can bar someone from pursuing a criminal case. In theory, it serves as a waiver of one's right to pursue civil indemnity. If the complaint is made after the institution of a criminal action, the affidavit cannot justify the complaint's dismissal. 

https://attorney.org.ph/legal-news/231-affidavit-of-desistance-its-effect-on-pursuing-a-criminal-case

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, Tommy T. said:

Be careful of road rage! There seems to be a lot of that here I have observed. You so much as put a tiny scratch on someone's Toyota Hilux and there's a good chance you will be beaten up or shot!

Actually, I think the chance of road rage is much higher in the U.S. than here.  Filipinos do things every day that could cause a road rage incident in the U.S., but are perfectly acceptable as normal rude behavior here.  I have a couple of 4 way stop intersections in Olongapo that I go through every day.  Absolute chaos!  Nobody really stops and it is every man for himself.  It is what it is, right?  Once in a while an old barangay guy will try to direct traffic and then it gets really comical!

However, you are right, and I am careful.  I would never confront a Filipino face to face on the road.  The bright lights are normal here so flashing them a lot is normal.  If I flash my lights, that gives me the right of way, correct?

[Tommy T.]

28 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

If I flash my lights, that gives me the right of way, correct?

As someone posted here some time ago, flashing lights is just to show everyone else that you know how to do it! I still can't figure out if it means "go ahead," "stop because I'm not stopping," "or simply f**k you because my car is bigger than yours!" I rarely drive at night these days and the number of drivers running with their high beams on is amazing. I taught L and her daughter the rules of the road as we obey them in USA (mostly) then told them to ignore those rules because few people here follow them let alone even know them. Her driving test was a total joke - she had to drive 50 feet in a straight line and she passed! There were dozens of others behind her so they just wanted to keep the line moving. Again....as discussed many times here previously, the best defense is to to do your best to expect the unexpected. If there is something profoundly stupid that someone can do, they will likely do that so just try to think ahead and be aware of everything and everyone around you.

Once, we almost hit a very drunk guy meandering down the middle of the highway on Samal Island at 10pm - wearing dark pants, dark hoody and no lights around. Good thing we weren't going very fast. But I kept wondering....is he going to veer left or right just when we go to pass him????

 

 

Edited May 30, 2023 by Tommy T.

[Mike J]

53 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

As someone posted here some time ago, flashing lights is just to show everyone else that you know how to do it! I still can't figure out if it means "go ahead," "stop because I'm not stopping," "or simply f**k you because my car is bigger than yours!"

Based on what I have observed flashing lights at an intersection mean "you go ahead", actually had one today.  Flashing lights from an oncoming vehicle means; "I am in your lane, now it's mine, so you better to slow the f*** down".    Seems to happen most with buses and larger vehicles like SUVs and big pickups.  This happens frequently on the Cebu national highway, most of which is still only two lanes, one in each direction, with little or no shoulder.   Scary stuff even by Philippine standards.  

[Onemore52]

Tommy thanks for clearing that up for me, as I just thought that it meant "I am a very important person and I don't understand or know the road rules, so I am just going to turn in front of you". 

Not trying to black cat you (which means that while your story is a good one but I have a better on, hence the term being black catted), anyway I digress, my partner after 3 years of driving is still hopeless but she used to be a model so she just wore the shortest of skirts to her driving test and bingo like magic she passed. to this day have to remind her to use the indicators on the car, I suppose she just fits in .

One day it will all sync in.

[OnMyWay]

29 minutes ago, Mike J said:

Based on what I have observed flashing lights at an intersection mean "you go ahead", actually had one today.

It depends on the situation.  That is what it means in most countries, like U.S. and Germany where I have lived. 

Here, if the other vehicle is moving, it probably means, "you better stop because I am taking the right of way" and I think they also mean "if I hit you it is your fault because I flashed my lights to let you know".

However, you may encounter it with the purpose as you said, but usually the vehicle will be stopped for you when they do it.  Like when you are at a stalemate at an intersection.  I do that.