Murder raps filed vs Ivler

MANILA, Philippines - The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) filed murder charges yesterday against road rage shooting suspect Jason Ivler for the killing of Renato Ebarle Jr., a son of a Malacañang official, during a traffic altercation on Nov. 18.

Also yesterday, a man went to the QCPD to report he was allegedly nearly killed by Ivler the night before Ebarle’s death. 

The murder charges are based on the testimonies of three witnesses who identified Ivler as the one who allegedly shot Ebarle, a son of Presidential Chief of Staff Undersecretary Renato Ebarle Sr., at the corner of Santolan Road and Ortigas Avenue.

Superintendent Lino Banaag, head of the QCPD’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU), said the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Division records show that Ivler is “not a licensed/registered firearm holder of any kind of caliber.”

QCPD police officers raided the house of musician Freddie Aguilar in New Manila and Asian Development Bank economist Stephen Pollard in Blue Ridge subdivision over the weekend but came up empty-handed.

Aguilar is Ivler’s uncle, while Pollard is the second husband of Ivler’s mother, Marlene Aguilar Pollard.

Banaag said the case of illegal possession of a firearm has been absorbed into the murder charge that they filed against Ivler before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office yesterday.

“Police alarms were sent to different units of the Philippine National Police for the arrest of respondent Jayson Ivler but to no avail, hence, the filing of this instant case. Follow-up investigation and operations conducted… in the known whereabouts of… Ivler proved futile. Respondent appears to be so elusive that he had made good of his escape,” Banaag said in a three-page charge sheet.

One witness, Senior Police Officer 2 Edgar Tiodin, said he was driving along Santolan Road and saw what happened. He tried to chase after Ivler’s vehicle, a Honda Civic with diplomatic plate 20903, but lost him in New Manila.

Banaag said commuter Archie Castillo and vendor Marchelle Belardo also identified Ivler as the same person who shot Ebarle.

Brush with death

Police said Manolito Cuya, 47, was driving his Nissan pickup truck along Hemady street when he encountered Ivler’s Honda CRV (with plate number 20903) at past 9 p.m. 

Cuya said he blew his horn, which irritated Ivler, who got out of the vehicle and pointed his handgun at the other man. Cuya was then with his wife, sister-in-law, daughter and a niece.

At this point, Cuya was apologetic but Ivler allegedly continued threatening him with his handgun while shouting invectives. Ivler allegedly told Cuya, “Masuwerte ka may kasama kang mga bata. Pero pag nakita kita uli, papatayin na kita (You’re lucky you have children with you. If I see you again, I’ll kill you).”

Cuya, a friend of Superintendent Virgilio Fabian of the QCPD, called up the police official, who had policemen scour the area. The lawmen failed to find Ivler’s vehicle.

Police Officer 3 Gregorio Maramag told The STAR that based on Cuya’s description, Ivler used the same vehicle when he accosted Cuya.

Chief Inspector Benjamin Elenzano, deputy head of the QCPD-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU), said Cuya identified Ivler as the same man who threatened him with a gun. Additional charges of grave threats will be filed against Ivler, Elenzano said.

Car in road rage shooting found

The Honda CRV used by Ivler during the alleged shooting was found yesterday in the garage of a house owned by his uncle, a man married to a sister of Marlene, Ivler’s mother, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said.

The house is in Concepcion Dos, Rancho Dos at the SSS Village in Marikina City. The NBI said they received information about the car’s location from Marlene’s secretary, Maryjean Flores. The car is registered to Pollard.

Upon seeing the Honda CRV, NBI agents inspected the vehicle but found no evidence linking it to the shooting.

NBI sources said Ivler had dinner with his stepfather at around 7 p.m. on Nov. 18, and gone home to his house in Blue Ridge subdivision following the shooting.

Ivler reportedly even had breakfast on Nov. 19, the morning after the incident. Flores said Ivler and his mother left home at the same time on Nov. 19, and that Marlene ordered that the Honda CRV be brought to Marikina.

Pollard, Ivler’s stepfather, went to the NBI headquarters yesterday to submit an affidavit saying he does not know where the vehicle is, and that he does not know who used it, according to NBI-Special Action Unit chief Angelito Magno.

Pollard admitted to having dinner with his stepson several hours before the shooting. His lawyer, Alexis Medina, said Pollard “is not involved in any way in hiding the identity or person involved in any crime.”

PNP bats for reward

The Philippine National Police, on the other hand, is set to recommend the approval of a reward for any information leading to Ivler’s arrest, PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said.

Espina said a hold departure order for Ivler still stands and an arrest warrant still in effect for a case of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide. Ivler was involved in a traffic accident in 2004 that killed Resettlement Undersecretary Nestor Ponce.

Espina said Ivler jumped bail and the reckless imprudence case is ongoing before the sala of Pasig Regional Trial Court Judge Maria Rowena San Pedro. – With Sandy Araneta, Cecille Suerte Felipe