ALL’s well that ends well.
The security guard who was a victim of a hit-and-run incident involving a sports utility vehicle (SUV) near a mall in Mandaluyong City last year has agreed to an amicable settlement of the case.
“Nag-settle…And tinanggap naman dahil sabi nga e, kahit dalawang taon siyang hindi magtrabaho bilang security guard, mas malaki pa yung naibigay yata sa kanya na financial assistance,” said lawyer Federico Biolena, counsel of security guard Christian Floralde.
Biolena refused to disclose the settlement amount.
A video that later went viral captured the incident when the SUV, driven by Jose Antonio Sanvicente, ran over Floralde.
Based on the video, prosecutors found probable cause to charge Sanvicente in court with frustrated homicide, saying there was intent to kill Floralde.
They noted that Sanvicente did not even slow down, stop the care, or change direction after Floralde was pinned by the suspect’s vehicle.
Sanvicente eventually pleaded not guilty to the charge.
According to Biolena, the settlement led to the dismissal of the frustrated homicide charge against Sanvicente by a Mandaluyong court because his client accepted the defense of the accused.
“It was a necessary consequence…if there is no complainant, how can the case progress? And then yun na nga, tinatanggap naman ni Floralde yung depensa na talagang purely accidental, hindi sinasadya yung pagkasagasa sa kanya kung kaya’t pumayag na siya i-settle,” the lawyer explained.
Floralde accepted the defense that it was purely accidental, which is why he settled. There were x-ray results at that time and I also saw that he was up and about.)
The incident, which angered netizens, led to a manhunt for Sanvicente, who later surrendered to then-Philippine National Police officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. in Camp Crame.