QCPD steps up ‘road rage’ probe

MANILA, Philippines—Police on Tuesday traced the license plate registration of a silver Innova, which figured in a road rage incident victimizing the family of a University of the Philippines (UP) professor in Quezon City, to a Priscilla Francisco Meneses of Bambang, Bulacan, but have yet to verify if she is related to Mayor Patrick Meneses of Bulacan town.

The professor complained that a male passenger of the Innova had pulled out a gun on her and her family while they were aboard their Fortuner during a traffic altercation on Congressional Avenue Extension in Barangay Pasong Tamo, Quezon City, around noon on Monday.

The Innova was apparently in the convoy of a white Land Cruiser, which had swerved too close to and had overtaken the Fortuner twice on the road. The family believes that the gun-toting man who alighted from the Innova was the security escort of the passengers of the Land Cruiser.

Records from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) confirmed that the Innova’s license plate No. ZEL-124 was registered to Meneses and the Land Cruiser’s plate PQS-904 to Mactan Construction Supply in San Juan City, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said.

Checking other users

In an interview, QCPD director Senior Supt. Joel Pagdilao said investigators had not yet identified any suspects, but they were already directed to check on the addresses in the sport utility vehicles’ registration records to confirm the identity of the owners and those who were actually involved in Monday’s incident.

“It is possible other people were using the cars,” Pagdilao said.

Part of the verification is whether Meneses is the mother of the Bulacan town mayor and Meneses’ link to Mactan Construction Supply, he added.

On Tuesday, the Inquirer tried but failed to reach Mayor Meneses. He was out of his office and did not take calls made or replied to text messages sent to his mobile phone.

Joey Rodrigo, tourism and information officer of the Bulacan municipal government, could not say where the mayor was. He said he was not sure if Meneses was attending a meeting of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines’ chapter in Bulacan (LMP) or was out of the province for another engagement.

Switched plates?

Pagdilao revealed that the Land Cruiser’s plate number was supposed to be for a flatbed truck. “The [Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit] is finding out why it was on an [SUV]. Even the anticarnapping unit has been tapped in the investigation,” he said.

The officer said the gun-toting man might face a complaint of grave threats.

Asked about the fear-stricken family’s intention to file a case against those in the Land Cruiser, Pagdilao said the police would gather the evidence to support the family’s statement.

“Once the complaint is filed in the fiscal’s office, it is the fiscal who will appreciate their statements to determine if there is probable cause [to charge the suspects],” Pagdilao said. With a report from Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Inquirer Central Luzon