MANILA, Philippines — Pasay City Police temporarily absolved the last three known passengers of a Grab driver slain in an apparent carnapping incident.
The three passengers of Gerardo “Junjie” Maquidato Jr., who were persons of interests, were air-conditioning technicians, Pasay police deputy chief for operations Superintendent Gene Licud said in a radio interview Tuesday.
Licud said they were invited to the Pasay City police headquarters to answer the allegations against them.
READ: What we know so far: Killing of model Grab driver Junjie Maquidato Jr.
The three passengers denied that they were involved in the carnapping that lead to the killing of Maquidato and narrated the details of their trip.
Licud said the authorities, along with the passengers, re-enacted the trip and were able to verify that their account matched with the CCTV footage.
"Sa ngayon po, masasabi natin na negative sila sa insidente, (For now, we can say that they are negative in the incident," Licud said in a radio interview with dzMM.
The three passengers of Maquidato reportedly booked the ride-sharing service Grab in San Juan and they alighted in Pasay City.
Despite being cleared, Licud said the trio remain as persons of interest since they have not yet filed their affidavits with the police.
Licud said they are probing other persons of interests who were passengers of Maquidato.
Maquidato was shot dead last October 26 along Bonanza Street in Pasay City when an alleged suspect who booked and rode his silver Toyota Innova with plate number YV 7109 along Bonanza St. in Pasay City was carnapped. His vehicle is still missing.
Meanwhile, Transport Network Company Grab Philippines vowed to cooperate with the authorities in seeking justice for its driver-partner Maquidato. The ride-sharing company also offered P100,000 to anyone who can provide information that could lead to the capture of the perpetrator. —Rosette Adel
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