Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos on Wednesday afternoon announced the arrest of the driver of the Mercedes Benz involved in the shooting of a 65-year old family driver over a road rage incident in Makati City.
In a press conference at Camp Crame in Quezon City, Abalos presented Gerrard Yu, the suspect in the fatal road rage incident in EDSA-Ayala Tunnel on 28 May.
Abalos said Yu was collared at around 7:00 a.m. the next day in Pasig City.
"A black Mercedes Benz with the plate number DAD98670 was also found in the residence; the plate number BCS77 was also found inside the Mercedes Benz," Abalos explained.
"Two caliber pistols were also seized from the suspect; the seized firearms were brought to the PNP Forensic Group for ballistic examination, while the suspect was subjected to paraffin test," he added.
Results showed that the suspect tested positive for gunpowder from the confiscated firearm, a Taurus pistol, which Abalos said matched with the recovered fired cartridge at the scene as revealed by the ballistic examination.
"The seized firearms were brought to the PNP Forensics Group for ballistic examination while the suspect was subjected to a paraffin test. The suspect tested positive for gunpowder nitrate. One of the seized firearms matched the recovered fired cartridge case from the suspect's firearm during ballistic examination," Abalos said.
"The Philippine National Police leadership is now preparing to file a case of murder against the suspect and we are committed to bringing justice to the victim and his loved ones," he added.
On Tuesday, based on police reports, Mateo was shot to death along the southbound lane of the EDSA Ayala tunnel at around 2:30 p.m. by the suspect who was aboard a black Mercedes Benz with a plate number BCS77.
The Mercedes Benz sped off after the attack and coordination with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) revealed that the car was registered to a person living in Las Piñas City.
Police, however, did not find the vehicle at the residence of the registered owner, which led to the follow-up operations.
Shortly after confirming the license plate and the registered owner of the vehicle with the LTO, policemen later found out when they proceeded to the house of the registered owner in Las Piñas City that the registered owner of the vehicle is different from the described gunman.
"Our investigators faced difficulty in locating the vehicle and the driver but I told General Nartatez (Metro Manila police chief Maj. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez, Jr) that this case must be solved in 24 hours," PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said.