A Grab driver accused by a student passenger of sexual misconduct has voiced his side of the viral story, explaining that health conditions were to blame for his heavy breathing rather than his pleasuring himself.
Last week, a student claimed on social media that driver Jerricho Narvaez for the ride-hailing service Grab had masturbated during her trip.
“The moment we got in the car this manyakis (pervert) was already breathing heavily and was acting weird. I was tired from today but my gut told me to stay alert,” the student said in a now-deleted post. “Five minutes palang I started hearing squishing sounds and he was also breathing more heavily, almost moaning in fact. I immediately got it.”
She said she had confronted Narvaez, who was alarmed and began apologizing when she called him out.
The driver later addressed the allegations in a Facebook post, after being subject to severe criticism and death threats.
“Ako po ay overweight, may hika, at high blood. Kakagaling ko lang mag-hapunan at dahil sa kabusugan ay hinihingal,” he explained.
(I am overweight, have asthma, and high blood pressure. I just had dinner and because I was full, I was breathless.)
“Mapapatunayan rin po ni Ms. Daniella (student) na kailanman ay wala akong nilabas na ari sa kasagsagan ng ride,” he continued. “Gusto ko lang din iklaro na ako po ay hindi nag-sorry o nag-panic nung ako ay hinarap at kinonfront ni Ms. Daniella Charlize dahil wala naman po akong ginagawang masama. Mas nagtaka lamang po dahil bigla silang nagrequest bumaba.”
(Ms. Daniella can also attest that I never brought out my penis during the ride. I also want to clarify that I did not say sorry or panic when Ms. Daniella Charlize confronted me because I was not doing anything wrong. It was more that I was surprised that they had abruptly requested to be let out.)
He said that Grab’s Audio Protect recording feature would prove his account.
Narvaez further disclosed that he had been suspended for the duration of the investigation, meaning he had been unable to work since the incident was reported.
Some users who claim to know Narvaez personally came forward to vouch for his character.
“For almost 3 years na kilala ko si Jerricho Narvaez, never naman siyang nagbiro ng malaswa, or any harassment related stuff so this story is bit impossible,” one comment read. “He always think(s) of his daughters’ welfare and (is) willing to cross (the) line para sa mga anak niya so I believe ‘di niya ‘to gagawin dito sa pasahero niya.”
(In the almost three years that I have known Jerricho Narvaez, he never made an obscene joke, or committed any harassment-related thing, so this story is a bit impossible. He always thinks of his daughters’ welfare and is willing to cross the line for them, so I believe he would not do this to his passenger.)
In his statement, Narvaez mentioned that he was a family man with two daughters.
“Grab is here to be fair to both our drivers and passengers. When serious complaints come up, we temporarily pause the driver’s account to make sure we can investigate properly and fairly. We’re working closely with everyone involved, including law enforcement, to get to the truth and resolve this the right way,” Grab told a concerned netizen.
