Tuloy ang Kaso: How CCTV helped a victim

Joyce Ann Olindo in Ang Pinoy Stories

Nov 01, 2019 • 2 min Read

Ano ang reaction mo if base sa feeling ng isang babae ay nabastos mo sya at ikaw ay nabugbog ng mga kakilala nya dahil sa alegasyon?

This is the story of Mang Alexander Gutal, 53.

Close to midnight, Mang Alex boarded an electronic jeepney while Dimple Morcillo, 21, was already on board. The eJeep immediately starts moving before Mang Alex can find his balance, and he slanted towards Dimple, who thought the old man was trying to touch her. Dimple, hastily moved to another bench and had a heated discussion with Mang Alex. Before Dimple got off the E-jeep, she threw a punch at the old man and called out to the tambays who did the same to Mang Alex.

It did not stop there. Mang Alex was brought to a barangay hall in Bambang, Taguig and there he got beaten up again by Dimples’ family. This is based on a closed circuit television (CCTV) footage. At the police station, Mang Alex was not given medical assistance nor was he investigated. Police officers also urged him to ask forgiveness from Dimple.

A few days after, Mang Alex made the rounds of social media and he said “Tuloy ang kaso!” in Raffy Tulfo’s show while Dimple—who asked to be called “Linda” and had her face fully covered because she was receiving threats—and her mother cried for forgiveness.

Injustice happened to Mang Alex and netizens agreed that he suffered way too much brutality from the woman’s friends and relatives—all because she “felt” she was maliciously touched. Earning the nickname “feelingera” and the ire of just about everyone with a social media account, Dimple could have gotten away with the misdeed were it not for the CCTV cameras in the eJeep and the barangay.

Dimple’s feelings were wrong. CCTV showed that Mang Alex did not make contact with her. Lately, CCTV also revealed that the eJeepney’s driver, Joel Espiritu, urged Dimple to hit Mang Alex and that gave her courage to do so.

As this drama unfolds, one can see the unwise decisions of Dimple, her friends and relatives, and Espiritu while many can only commend the levelheadedness of Mang Alex’s son, Xian. The cry of the moment is still “tuloy ang kaso” and Mang Alex says he alone can decide what to do because his body and face took the beating, no one else’s.  His shame is on the line and he seems determined to reclaim it.

Supporters of Mang Alex can only say: Salamat sa CCTV.

Source of Featured Image: Instagram of indaylodi