1 killed, 2 injured in road mishap involving judge’s son

Charges would be filed against a son of a Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge today for allegedly killing a drunken construction foreman and injuring his two laborers in a vehicular accident on Saturday evening in Makati City.

Senior Inspector Estela Lomat, Makati-Traffic Enforcement Group (TEG) chief, said they would file reckless imprudence resulting to homicide and two counts of physical injuries against Emmanuel Christian Pimentel, 27, a resident of Barangay Rosario, Pasig City.

Pimentel is the son of Judge Oscar Pimentel of Branch 148 Makati City RTC, who presides over the celebrated criminal case against the soldiers who occupied the plush Oakwood Hotel in July last year.

SPO2 Abner Bibon, traffic investigator, identified the fatality as Joseph Cardines, 34, of Barangay Pembo, Makati City. The victims’ two companions — George Gomez, 30, of Barangay Pembo; and Eduardo Valencia, 32, of Agudo Street, Mandaluyong City, sustained only injuries.

Initial investigation showed that at around 7:45 p.m. last Saturday, Pimentel was driving on the northbound lane of the C-5 Road fronting Global City in Barangay Rembo in Makati City when he accidentally hit the three pedestrians.

In defense, Judge Pimentel absolved his son of criminal liability because the three victims were allegedly drunk at the time of the accident and were not crossing the proper pedestrian lane, Bibon said.