CORNERED BY TOP BRASS Road rage suspect Gerard Raymond Yu (head covered) is presented to the media by Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos (fourth from left), Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil (extreme left) and National Capital Region Police Office regional director Major Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. (extreme right) at Camp Crame, Quezon City, on Wednesday. —Grig C. Montegrande
MANILA, Philippines — A businessman from Pasig City is facing a murder charge after he was identified as the driver of a black Mercedes-Benz sedan who allegedly shot another motorist dead in a “road rage” incident near the busy Edsa-Ayala tunnel in Makati City on Tuesday afternoon.
The police said the suspect, Gerard Raymond Yu, was arrested on Wednesday morning at his residence in Riverside Village, Pasig, where they also seized the vehicle that figured in the incident as well as a pair of .40-caliber pistols, one of which is believed to be the gun that was fired.
READ: Driver shot dead in Edsa-Ayala tunnel ‘road rage’
Wearing a face mask and with his head covered by a black jacket, the suspect was presented at Camp Crame at a press conference called by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police.
“The arrested suspect was positively identified by the eyewitness to the actual shooting incident,” Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said.
Yu tested positive for gunpowder nitrate, while one of the confiscated firearms, a Taurus pistol, matched the fired cartridge case recovered at the crime scene, Abalos said.
An initial investigation showed that the victim, 65-year-old Aniceto Mateo, was shot after a heated exchange with the suspect around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both motorists were first seen approaching the tunnel on the southbound lane of Edsa and later tried to outmaneuver each other, going toward the exit.
Immediate death
It was at this point that the occupant of the Mercedes-Benz, with plate number BCS77, fired at the white Toyota Innova driven by Mateo.
The shooter hit the Innova’s right passenger window first and then Mateo.
Police said Mateo died instantly after being hit on the back, near his right shoulder.
Mateo was then traveling with two passengers—house helper Marites Valmorio, 47, and their 7-year-old ward—and was headed for Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa City.
The suspect sped off after the shooting, investigators said.
The incident stalled Edsa traffic for hours as the police cordoned off the crime scene.
“The Philippine National Police leadership is now preparing to file a case of murder against the suspect and we are committed to bringing justice for the victim and his loved ones,” Abalos said.
Not much was immediately known about the suspect except for his occupation and city of residence.
Dangers of road rage
The National Capital Region Police Office regional director, Major Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., said the motive was still under investigation, although eyewitness accounts suggested that the incident was triggered by a road altercation.
The PNP chief, Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, said both firearms seized from Yu were licensed but that the PNP would also check if the guns had been used in other crimes yet unsolved.
The director of the Southern Police District (SPD), Brig. Gen. Leon Victor Rosete, condemned the “senseless act of violence” and vowed a comprehensive investigation.
“The SPD will not rest until the perpetrator is brought to justice,” he said in a statement Wednesday, urging more witnesses to come forward.
Tuesday’s incident highlighted the dangers of road rage in the densely populated capital region, the SPD chief said.
He reminded motorists “to exercise patience, caution and respect on the road.”
“Road rage incidents can quickly escalate to dangerous and life-threatening situations. Let us all commit to maintaining peace and order on our roads to prevent such tragedies from occurring,” Rosete said.
Placed under alarm
Also on Wednesday, Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Vigor Mendoza II said a show-cause order had been issued against the registered owner of the Mercedes-Benz involved in the incident.
Mendoza said the order, signed by LTO-National Capital Region director Roque Verzosa III, directed the registered car owner from Las Piñas City to appear in the LTO-NCR office on June 6 to explain the incident in a notarized affidavit.
The two administrative violations cited in the order were reckless driving and having an “improper person” operating a motor vehicle.
“(T)he Mercedes-Benz with plate number BCS77 will be placed under alarm pending investigation,” the order said.
“We always remind our motorists to avoid being quick-tempered on the road because this will lead to nothing good. All of us lose when hotheadedness reigns,” the LTO chief added. —with a report from Jerome Aning