A woman caused traffic along B. Rodriguez Street in Cebu City on Tuesday morning, May 19 after lying down on a highway.
CCTV footage showed the woman getting out of a taxi that stopped along the bridge around 5 a.m. on Tuesday.
The driver also stepped out to follow her, but drove away after five minutes.
The woman later crossed the highway before lying down in the middle of the road.
Traffic enforcers eventually arrived at the scene, but the woman remained asleep. She was later brought to a hospital.
The taxi driver said the woman boarded his vehicle from a bar while intoxicated and was supposedly headed to her residence in Talisay City.
According to the driver, the woman kept crying during the ride and repeatedly asked to be dropped off before reaching her destination. He also said she had yet to pay the fare.
The driver added that the woman told him she had accumulated P63,000 in casino debt.
“Hindi na raw niya kayang bayaran. Sabi niya, kapag hindi daw siya nakabayad, makukulong daw siya. Kaya ‘yun ang problema niya,” the driver said in an interview.
He added that the woman allegedly said she wanted to take her own life, but he told her not to jump from his taxi because he did not want to get involved.
Meanwhile, the incident prompted some Filipinos online to warn others about the possible effects of gambling.
“Walang nanalo sa sugal na ‘yan. Oo, sa umpisa, pero ‘di mo alam pinapadama ka na pala nila,” a Facebook user commented on the report.
“It’s probably okay to gamble once in a while if you keep winning. But if you’re always losing, you’ll end up struggling financially. Hahaha. Gambling shouldn’t be taken too seriously anyway — it’s better if it’s just for fun, because times are hard these days and constant losses can really hurt,” another wrote.
“When it comes to machines or online games, once you start playing, you should already expect that you might either win or lose,” the Facebook user added.
“Bisyo pa more, haha,” another Pinoy commented.
“Matuto na kasi sa pagkakamali ng iba, ilang beses na nangyari na dami nasisira ang buhay sa sugal,” a different online user said.
Reports said the woman was brought to the Cebu City Medical Center, where she underwent a medical exam. Her family was also informed of the situation.
Authorities said they were still determining what legal action, if any, may be taken after her actions caused traffic congestion in the area.
