Suspect in shooting of LTO officer surrenders

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines — A businessman, tagged as a suspect in the shooting of three people in Calapan City, including the assistant Land Transportation Office (LTO) district chief, surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Oriental Mindoro yesterday.

Lt. Col. Roden Fulache, Calapan City police chief, said suspect Alvin Salazar, a businessman engaged in furniture trading, surrendered to the NBI-Mimaropa and admitted to the shooting during a police interview.

He added that Salazar went into hiding for two days before his mother was able to convince him to surrender.

Salazar allegedly shot Angeles Marasigan, an 85-year-old store owner who died at a hospital, LTO-Calapan deputy chief Gerardo Garcia and motorcycle shop owner Bernaldo Diño Jr. on Thursday.

The incident stemmed from an argument over Salazar's failure to present his driver’s license and the certificates for the motorcycle he was driving during a routine LTO checkpoint inspection in Barangay Canlubing 1 in Calapan City.

Police are readying a complaint for murder and multiple frustrated murder against Salazar.