Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, QCPD chief, at the crime scene in the wee hours of Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018. (Photo from a Radyo Inquirer video)
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) announced on Thursday the filing of criminal charges against the suspects in the foiled ambush of lawyer Argel Joseph Cabatbat on Edsa on February 13.
Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, director of the QCPD, said four counts of frustrated murder and illegal possession of firearms were filed against two suspects tagged in the ambush, citing a resolution by Quezon City Assistant Prosecutor Marvelous Madamba.
Charged were John Paul Napoles, who is currently confined at East Avenue Medical Center, and an unidentified person who escaped the shooting incident.
“Another suspect who escaped after the ambush and is yet to be identified was ordered for further investigation as the case needs preliminary investigation to determine probable cause,” Eleazar said.
The case against PO1 Mark Boquela Ayeras, the policeman who was rammed and killed by Cabatbat, was ordered dismissed considering the suspect was already deceased, the QCPD chief said.
READ: Lawyer survives ambush, rams motorcycle-riding gunmen with SUV
At around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Cabatbat was riding his SUV on the northbound lane of Edsa when three gunmen, two on one motorcycle and one on another motorcycle, opened fire at him.
Eleazar said Cabatbat had three companions in his SUV during the incident. They were identified as Ardee Llaneras, Rodel Dela Cruz, and John Ramos, residents of Nueva Ecija.
Surviving the ambush, the lawyer chased his attackers. He managed to ram the two motorcycles with his SUV at Edsa’s northbound lane near Trinoma Mall in Quezon City.
“With the filing of appropriate charges against the suspects, as far as this case is concerned, this is already solved,” Eleazar said.
“Nananawagan tayo sa pangatlong suspek na tumakas at nagtatago ngayon na kung maaari ay sumuko na lang sa mga awtoridad upang harapin ang kaso na isinampa laban sa kanya. Mas makabubuti ito para sa kanya upang mabigyan siya ng pagkakataon sa korte na i-depensa ang sarili,” he added.
(We are appealing to the third perpetrator who ran away and went into hiding to please surrender to authorities and face the case filed against him. This will be for his own good so he can defend himself in court.) /jpv