Road rage killer nabbed in Masbate

MANILA, Philippines - A “villain’s welcome” consisting of “words and looks that could kill,” courtesy of the nation’s top cop himself, awaits the Army reservist who gunned down a bicycle rider in Quiapo, Manila last Monday night.

The manhunt for Vhon Martin Tanto ended with his arrest by Army intelligence agents in Milagros, Masbate before noon yesterday.

Tanto still had a blackened left eye, reportedly resulting from his scuffle with his victim Mark Vincent Garalde, and was wearing a wristband of President Duterte when a joint team of Army intelligence agents and local police found him in a house in Barangay Poblacion East, Milagros at around 11:40 a.m.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald dela Rosa, who promised the “villain’s welcome” for Tanto in Manila, also said he might offer boxing lessons to the suspect, who was beaten by Geralde in their scuffle.

“Tanto did not resist arrest and peacefully joined the team that accosted him,” Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman, told the press at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Padilla said the arrest of Tanto, who uses the alias Skyton Tonsky, was the result of intensive surveillance conducted by Army intelligence units and the 9th Infantry Division based in Bicol.

Following his arrest, the suspect was brought to the headquarters of the 9th Infantry Battalion where he was turned over to Manila Police District (MPD) investigators handling the murder case against the suspect.

Tanto was caught on closed circuit television as he gunned down Garalde after a traffic altercation and fistfight along P. Casal street in Quiapo at 9:30 p.m. on Monday.

The shooting incident also injured student Rocel Bondoc, 18, who was hit by a stray bullet outside her house. She is in critical condition at Mary Chiles Hospital.

Tanto has a house in Fraternal corner Arlegui streets in Quiapo, Manila. He also has a residence in Caloocan City.

He has a rank of private in the reserve corps and is assigned with the 1301st Community Defense Center National Capital Region Regional Community Defense Group of the Army Reserve Command based in Caloocan.

Police said Tanto, a native of Cotabato City, migrated to Manila to engage in buy-and-sell business.

“The arrest proves that we do not condone any wrongdoing committed by any member of our organization. We do not tolerate any scalawags in our ranks and we make sure that those who committed a crime shall be dealt with accordingly,” said Army spokesman Col. Benjamin Hao.

The manhunt for the Army reservist led authorities to Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya where the suspect’s car was recovered Thursday morning.

Combined elements of the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group, Regional Highway Patrol Unit, National Bureau of Investigation, La Union police and Nueva Vizcaya police missed Tanto, who left his red Hyundai Eon car with conduction sticker MO-3745 at the house of his brother-in-law Jonathan Leano in Purok 3, Barangay Kitang, Aritao. 

Leano coordinated with the police after learning that the suspect is wanted for murder, but admitted that he brought Tanto to the Florida Bus terminal on Wednesday allegedly to get back to Manila.

Army intelligence agents, using available military records of the suspect being a reservist, tracked him down in their house in Masbate.

The arresting agents, however, failed to recover any firearm from Tanto, despite records from the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosive Office (FEO) that the suspect owns a caliber .45 Norinco pistol, a caliber .45 Armscor pistol and a caliber .45 Glock pistol.

Senior Supt. Cesar Hawthorne Binag, chief of the FEO, said that Tanto’s gun licenses have been revoked and a notice of cancellation has been served at his residence in Quiapo the other day.

“If he fails to surrender these firearms, he will also be facing illegal possession of firearms charges as his guns are considered loose firearms,” Binag said.

He added that upon verification by his office, Tanto does not have permits to carry any firearms outside of his residence.

The suspect will be brought to the MPD as a matter of procedure.

MPD homicide chief Senior Insp. Rommel Anicete said they would file charges of murder and frustrated murder against Tanto.

He said they are studying if charges would also be filed against the relatives of Tanto who gave him refuge while on the run.

The Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) yesterday said they have a strong case against Tanto.

A villain’s welcome

Dela Rosa said he would talk to Tanto at the MPD today.

“We will go there to give him a villain’s welcome, not a hero’s welcome,” Dela Rosa said.

Asked what the welcome would entail, the PNP chief said, “Nakakamatay na mura, nakakamatay na tingin (Curses and looks that could kill).”

“Non-contact yon pero mas masakit ‘yon (There is no physical contact but it will be more painful),” Dela Rosa added.

Explaining his plan to give Tanto boxing lessons, Dela Rosa said,

“Sisiga-siga, mahina naman pala sa boxing (He was acting like a tough guy, but couldn’t even box).”

PAO chief Persida Rueda-Acosta said they are set to take over as legal counsel of the family of the slain Garalde.

The CCTV footage, the recovered getaway car, as well as the testimony of the injured witness would help build the case against Tanto.

Garalde’s mother Marie Lou said she does not want to see the suspect at this time but is happy that Tanto was captured.

“Regardless, dumating siya ng nakadapa o nakatayo, bahala siya. Basta wag ko lang muna siya makita,” she said.

An MPD investigator also went to the wake of Garalde to get the signature of the victim’s mother for the complaint sheet.

Ghost bike

Meanwhile, a bicycle enthusiast vowed yesterday to put up a “memorial bike” in memory of Garalde.

Nj Mijares, a copywriter for an ad agency who uses his bicycle to go to work, said that he would put up a white painted bike that would serve as a monument for Garalde.

He said that the bike would be installed along P. Casal street in Quiapo where Garalde was shot dead last July 25.   

“Bicyclists are killed, whether by accident or not. And sadly, they are eventually forgotten after a few days or weeks in the news. By installing memorials, we will remember people,” Mijares said on his Facebook page “Busykleta.”

“People will remember. And maybe, just maybe, every one will be reminded to be safe, be respectful and be a little bit friendlier on our roads,” he added.

Mijares explained that the memorial for Garalde was inspired by the “ghost bikes” put up in memory of dead cyclists in other countries. – With Robertzon Ramirez, Rey Galupo, Romina Cabrera, Francis Elevado