Cops identify suspect in Grab driver slay

Narc Delemios, also known as Miko or Nikolo, was tagged by his live-in partner as the suspect in the killing of Grab driver Gerardo Maquidato Jr. last October 26, 2017.  (Photo from the Facebook of Abigail Balbuena)

Published: 2:30 p.m., Nov. 6, 2017 | Updated: 11:41 p.m., Nov. 6, 2017

The suspect in the killing of a Grab driver has two days to surrender before authorities start hunting him down.

The Pasay City Police Station issued the ultimatum on Monday to Narc Tulod Delemios, also known as Miko and Nikolo, a day after his live-in partner came forward and said he had borrowed her phone to book a ride with the victim.

“We will give him two days or until Nov. 8 to voluntarily surrender. Otherwise, he will be subject to manhunt operations,” Supt. Gene Licud, assistant city police chief for operations, told reporters.

Wanted for another murder

According to Licud, they do not need to file a case against Delemios for the killing of Grab driver Gerardo Maquidato Jr. just yet since he already has a pending arrest warrant issued by a Parañaque court for another murder case.

The 37-year-old Maquidato was named one of Grab’s best driver-partners after his act of kindness to a sickly passenger went viral last year.

Delemios was identified by his live-in partner, Giselle Capati, whose name turned up as one of the last three passengers who had booked a ride with the victim before he was shot dead in Pasay City. The killer also fled with the victim’s vehicle, a Toyota Innova with conduction sticker YV 7109, which has yet to be recovered.

Based on Capati’s statement to investigators, Delemios borrowed her phone around 6 p.m. on Oct. 26 and used it to book a ride with Maquidato at 7:15 p.m. She added that her partner was picked up at 2724 F.B. Harrison Street and his destination was Market Market mall in Taguig City.

Licud said that footage taken by a closed-circuit television camera showed Maquidato’s Toyota Innova as it was turning right on Aurora Boulevard in Pasay City.

Suspect’s house just nearby

At 7:45 p.m., Maquidato’s body was found sprawled on Bonanza Street in Barangay 189, Don Carlos Revilla Village. The area was around 300 meters away from the last known address of Delemios in Barangay 190, Licud added.

Capati told the police that Delemios met up with her to return her phone around midnight of Oct. 27 at a bus terminal in Pasay City. He said he was going home to Tarlac province.

When questioned by the police, Capati said her partner arrived at the bus terminal on foot. She did not see him driving any vehicle, she added.

She also told investigators she did not know that Delemios had used her phone to book rides with Grab until it was returned to her.

Licud, meanwhile, said that they have yet to clear Capati despite the information she provided them, adding that they would look into her possible connivance with Delemios. /kga /pdi