Makati traffic trainee linked to motorbike theft yields

A trainee of Makati City’s Public Safety Department (PSD) surrendered to Mayor Abby Binay on Wednesday after being tagged as a suspect in a motorcycle theft last week.

Noel Natividad Jr., a 23-year-old who was training to become part of PSD’s auxiliary corps, turned himself in four days after seeing himself in a TV news report that implicated him in the incident.

According to the police, a complaint was filed by Englebert Esmaquillam over the loss of his black Honda Click motorcycle that he parked at Ayala Circuit Mall on the night of Nov. 2.

Security video footage at the mall showed Apollo Bartolome, an employee of a restaurant at Circuit, accompanying a man in a black jacket to the parking area.

Minutes later, the man was seen driving off on the motorcycle.

Bartolome, who was arrested the following day, pointed to Natividad as the one who took the vehicle.

A police team failed to find Natividad at his house at Fabre Estate, Sta. Ana, Manila but found Esmaquillam’s motorcycle parked there.

According to Bartolome, Natividad asked that he be kept informed if there were motorcycles that could be stolen at Circuit, promising to give him a “10-percent share” after he had sold the stolen bikes. —Dexter Cabalza