📷Gerrard Yu | philstar.com
WHILE authorities seemed to be having a hard time locating fugitive televangelist Apollo Quiboloy, all it took was 24 hours for the Philippine National Police (PNP) to locate and arrest the driver of the Mercedes Benz involved in the Makati road rage incident.
This comes as Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos presented the gunman who killed an elderly family driver by the name of Aniceto Mateo over a traffic altercation in Makati City last Tuesday.
According to Abalos, suspect Gerrard Yu was arrested in Pasig City at around 7:00 in the morning, a day after the road rage incident took place.
“A black Mercedes Benz with the plate number DAD98670 was also found in the residence; the plate number BCS77 was also found inside the Mercedes Benz,” Abalos explained.
“Two caliber pistols were also seized from the suspect; the seized firearms were brought to the PNP Forensic Group for ballistic examination, while the suspect was subjected to paraffin test,” he added.
After the arrest, Yu underwent a paraffin test which yielded positive for gunpowder while one of the two firearms matched the ballistic test done to the cartridge that was recovered at the scene of the crime.
“The seized firearms were brought to the PNP Forensics Group for ballistic examination while the suspect was subjected to a paraffin test. The suspect tested positive for gunpowder nitrate. One of the seized firearms matched the recovered fired cartridge case from the suspect’s firearm during ballistic examination,” Abalos noted.
“The Philippine National Police leadership is now preparing to file a case of murder against the suspect and we are committed to bringing justice to the victim and his loved ones.”
Mateo was shot by the Benz-riding suspect along the southbound lane of the EDSA Ayala tunnel Tuesday afternoon. The gunman escaped immediately after the incident.
However, cops were able to trace the owner of the luxury vehicle with the help of witnesses who gave the policemen the license plate of the Mercedes Benz that was driven by the suspect.
A check at the Land Transportation Office (LTO) showed the car registered to a person living in Las Piñas City. The unit however was sold to another person compelling operatives to proceed to Pasig City where the car was located – so as the gunman based on the description of witnesses. (ANGEL F. JOSE)
