Traffic jam hailed: Carnapping crook trapped in Manila's EDSA 'carmageddon'

Manila: The usual worst-in-the-world traffic nightmare on EDSA, the Philippine capital's main thoroughfare, has been a perennial downside of life in the metropolis.

But for once, it's been hailed as a total win.

A sneaky carnapping attempt in Quezon City got shut down because traffic was so bad, the thief had to ditch the stolen taxi and run for his life on foot.

Local media reports say a 44-year-old man flagged down a 64-year-old taxi driver's ride along Mindanao Avenue, pretending he needed a lift to Cubao's bus terminal.

But boom — once they hit Imperial Street in Barangay E. Rodriguez, he pulls an ice pick, declares a hold-up, and forces the cabbie out.

The driver flags down a motorcycle security guard for backup, and the chase is on.

Stuck in crawling traffic

The suspect zooms the taxi toward EDSA... only to get stuck in that classic Manila crawl.

Panicking, he bails on foot and bolts toward EDSA corner Ermin Garcia, right by NEPA Q-Mart — where cops were conveniently patrolling.

Busted!

“Nang naipit ang taxi sa traffic, inabandona ito ng suspek at nagpatuloy ang habulan on foot papuntang Q-Mart. Nagkataon namang may pulis tayo roon dahil area nila ‘yun (Translation: "When he got stuck in traffic, the suspect abandoned the vehicle, starting a chase on foot towards Q-Mart. It's so happened we have police officers there, because that's their area)," Police Lt. Col. Joy Leanza, chief of the Cubao Police Station, said.

Netizens go wild

Pinoys online turned this into comedy gold, roasting traffic's rare glow-up:

• “Advantage of traffic,” one Facebook user cracked.

• “For the first time, traffic caused something good,” another added with a grinning emoji.

• “Akalain mo ‘yun, nakatulong ‘yung traffic (who would have thought traffic jams would be beneficial),” a Pinoy quipped with a sweat-grin emoji.

• “Ito lang ang alam kong naging magandang epekto ng trapiko dito [sa] bansang ‘to,” someone joked with a laughing emoji.

• “There’s a bright side for everything,” another cheered.

The suspect confessed but swore he wasn't gonna hurt the driver — just wanted his phone back, he claims.

Here's a plot thickener: he was already jailed in 2023 for drugs.

Now he's facing charges under the New Anti-Carnapping Act.

Justice served, traffic-style.

Talk about a plot twist nobody saw coming.

EDSA's eternal jam?

Metro Manila snagged Asia's #1 spot and world's #2 for congestion in the 2025 TomTom Traffic Index — drivers wasted 143 hours last year, up 0.8% from 2024.

In terms of daily economic loss, traffic congestion causes an estimated Php3.5 billion in daily economic losses. The "Friday Effect" often worsens significantly on Friday evenings, with travel times for short distances potentially doubling due to the "rush hour" extending for hours.

The "Manila Carmageddon" causes severe, daily misery for commuters, increases travel time to 2.5 hours for a 14-km journey, and makes commuting a "warzone-like" experience.

But hey, if it stops crooks, we'll take it. Who's ready to high-five the next traffic jam.