By FREDDIE VELEZ
A high-speed car chase through the streets of Malolos City on Tuesday, Nov. 4 — initially believed to involve a fleeing robbery suspect — was later found to be the result of a confrontation between a woman’s boyfriend and her live-in partner, according to police.
Lt. Col. Rommel E. Geneblazo, chief of the Malolos City Police, said the man had been driving a black vehicle at top speed along MacArthur Highway, prompting a dragnet operation that led to his interception.
Initial reports from motorcycle riders, who joined the chase, suggested the man was a hold-up suspect involved in indiscriminate firing.
However, upon questioning, police were dismayed to learn that the suspect was not a criminal but rather caught in a domestic dispute.
Investigators found that the man had earlier dropped off a female companion in Barangay Sipat, Plaridel. The woman’s live-in partner saw them together and, in a fit of rage, smashed the window of the black vehicle.
The driver fled the scene, and the angry partner chased him, shouting “Harangin n’yo hold-upper ‘yan!,” catching the attention of motorcycle riders.
The chase escalated as the pursuing motorcycle riders sought help from police officers in Malolos, claiming the fleeing man was armed and dangerous.
The pursuit spanned several barangays—Mojon, Lugam, Pinagbakahan, Guinhawa, Longos, and Bulihan—causing widespread alarm before the vehicle was finally cornered.
At the Malolos police station, the man clarified that he was not a robber but the boyfriend of the woman involved.
Police summoned the couple from Plaridel, and the truth emerged: the dramatic chase was the result of a personal dispute, not a criminal offense.
Both men—the fleeing driver and the pursuing partner—are now in police custody and face charges of alarm and scandal under Article 155 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended by Republic Act No. 10951.
The offense carries a penalty of up to P40,000 in fines and one month of imprisonment.
After discovering the real cause of the incident, Lt. Col. Geneblazo issued a public statement, emphasizing that “such kind behavior has no place in a peaceful and progressive city like Malolos.”
“Ang inyo pong kapulisan ay mananatiling kasangga at kakampi, may serbisyong tapat, mabilis at nararamdaman. Mag-ingat po tayong lahat,” he said.
