Suspect in LTO exec's slay falls in QC

MANILA – Authorities have arrested the suspect in the killing of an official of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Quezon City last week.

In a press briefing at Camp Crame on Monday, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the special investigation task group (SITG) for the case arrested alias "Danny" in Barangay Batasan Hills, Quezon City on May 25.

"Immediately ay nag-create po ng SITG ang QCPD (Quezon City Police District) at based sa mga nakuha nilang ebidensya particularly yung nakuha nilang OR-CR (official receipt-certificate of registration) ng motor ay nakapagsagawa sila ng (The QCPD immediately created a SITG and based on the pieces of evidence, particularly the OR-CR of the motorcycle, they were able to make a) follow up operation that led to the arrest of the suspect," Fajardo said.

She said investigators obtained information from four witnesses that led to the suspect's arrest.

"As to the motive ay hindi pa po malinaw sa atin kung ito po ba ay may kinalaman sa trabaho sa (it is not clear yet to us whether this is related to the victim's work at the LTO) but we are not discounting this early kung ito ay may kinalaman sa (if this has something to do with) personal grudge, inaalam din kung may iba pang tao na involved sa insidente na ito (we are also determining whether there are other people who might be involved in this incident)," she said.

The victim, Mercedita Gutierrez, chief of the Registration Section of the LTO Central Office in Quezon City, was gunned down in Barangay Pinyahan by a motorcycle-riding assailant at around 6:20 p.m. on May 24. (PNA)