黑料社

MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The suspect in the killing of Land Transportation Office (LTO) employee Mercedita Gutierrez has been arrested and will be subjected to inquest proceedings, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said on Monday.

Abalos, in a press conference after the launch of a Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) program for mental health, declined to reveal the suspect鈥檚 name and reason for the killing until after the inquest proceedings had been finished.

READ: QCPD to form team to look into killing of LTO employee聽

Gutierrez was driving her Hyundai Starex van last Friday night when she was shot at the corner of K-H Street and Kamias Road. She was brought to the East Avenue Medical Center for treatment but was declared dead by the attending physician.

鈥淪o 鈥榶ong nangyari do鈥檔 sa LTO official, si Mercedita Gutierrez, an LTO employee, ay meron nang suspect na na-aresto ang ating kapulisyahan. At mamaya anytime ngayon i-inquest na ito, ayaw ko lang muna sabihin ang pangalan nito at ang report, antayin na lang natin ang inquest, anyway, public record na 鈥榶on basta mangyari 鈥榶on,鈥� Abalos told reporters.

(So what happened with that LTO official, Mercedita Gutierrez, an LTO employee? The police officers have already arrested a suspect. And anytime now, he will undergo inquest proceedings, but I do not want to name him and mention the report. We will just wait until the inquest is already a public record.)

鈥淢eron, meron akong nabasa (na motive), itong hawak ko na 鈥榯o, pero ayaw ko na munang ilabas kasi antayin na lang po natin 鈥榶ong inquest,鈥� she added.

(I鈥檝e read about a possible motive, it鈥檚 in this paper I hold, but I do not want to preempt it, let鈥檚 just wait for the inquest.)

However, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) chief hinted that the incident is unrelated to Gutierrez鈥檚 work as chief of the LTO Central Office Registration Office.

鈥淲ell siguro may kinalaman sa sasakyan, sa pagmamaneho. No, it鈥檚 not work-related. So tignan na lang natin,鈥� Abalos said.

(Well, it has something to do with cars. No, it鈥檚 not work-related. So let鈥檚 wait for it.)

鈥淪o antayin na lang po natin 鈥榶ong inquest mamaya and then once it becomes public record, I will ask Jean (Fajardo) to give you a copy but what is important is, as of now, meron nang suspect na under police custody at ipa-file na ang inquest, at maagap ang pulisya po natin,鈥� he added.

(So let鈥檚 just wait for the inquest later, and then once it becomes public record, I will ask Jean (Fajardo) to give you a copy, but what is important is, as of now, we have a suspect under police custody, and this will be filed for the inquest, and our police officers are quick to address the issue.)

Last Saturday, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said it would create a team of investigators to look into Gutierrez鈥檚 killing.

QCPD Director Brigadier General Redrico Maranan said that Acting Deputy District Director for Operations Colonel Amante Daro will lead the team tasked to determine the motive behind the incident.

In a separate statement, LTO head Vigor Mendoza II condemned the killing and called for justice for Gutierrez.

鈥淭his is a cowardly act, and we assure her family and the public of our untiring efforts to coordinate with the Philippine National Police and closely monitor the investigation of this incident to bring all the perpetrators of this crime behind bars,鈥� Mendoza said.