An Indian national turned himself in to authorities after cyber-patrolling officers traced the vehicle he allegedly used in a hit-and-run that injured a highway patrolman, police said Wednesday.
The suspect — identified as Manjot Singh — surrendered following follow-up operations to locate him and his vehicle, a Jetour SUV, which was involved in the Saturday incident that injured Patrolman Jeric Aya-ay.
Brig. Gen. Rommel Batangan, chief of the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG), told a news conference at Camp Crame that the breakthrough occurred when investigators spotted the SUV listed for sale on social media.
Police traced the vehicle to a subdivision in Barangay Cupang, Antipolo City, where it was allegedly being repainted to hide damage from the crash.
“During our cyber patrolling starting Saturday, we saw that the vehicle was already on the online market being sold,” Batangan said.
“The driver’s parents are engaged in the buy-and-sell vehicle business, which is why it was on the social media platform,” he added.
Singh faces criminal charges including abandonment of one’s own victim, reckless imprudence resulting in physical injuries, and damage to property.
The HPG will also recommend that the Land Transportation Office permanently revoke his driver’s license.
PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. welcomed the surrender and credited the swift resolution to digital intelligence.
“The prompt identification of the vehicle and the subsequent surrender of the suspect demonstrate our commitment to ensuring accountability and delivering justice, especially in cases involving attacks on law enforcement personnel,” Nartatez said.
He added that social media monitoring has become a vital tool for modern policing to gather evidence within legal bounds.
