Road rage suspect charged with murder

MANILA, Philippines -  Murder charges were filed yesterday against a high-stakes poker player allegedly involved in the road rage killing of an information technology professional in Quezon City over the weekend.

Fredison Atienza, alias Sonson, was charged before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office over the killing of Anthony Mendoza during a traffic altercation.

Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director, said they decided to directly file the case against Atienza following reports that he was able to leave Boracay island earlier this week.

“As early as Monday night his identity was known. We could have filed the case then but we waited because during that time we had information on his whereabouts. However, because we received info that the suspect already left Boracay, we decided to file a case,” he said in an interview.  

The case is set to undergo preliminary investigation before the prosecutor’s office despite the “surrender feelers” Atienza had been sending following the turnover of his vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser (AHA-3558), to police on Tuesday.

This came after he was identified by Mendoza’s brother, Michael, as the man who shot the victim and drove a sport utility vehicle.

The suspect reportedly flew to Boracay and checked into a luxury hotel at Station 1 on Sunday, less than 24 hours after the shooting. He checked out at around midnight Tuesday, the QCPD said.

He supposedly had a return flight booked for Wednesday and another “emergency flight” to Clark on Tuesday afternoon but he did not show up for both bookings.

His companion, identified by police as Stephanie Ong, flew back to Manila on Tuesday afternoon while another “friend,” Jeannalyn Tsoi, stayed with him. Police have yet to determine Tsoi’s whereabouts.

The QCPD has tapped the assistance of local police in Boracay, as well as lawmen in the neighboring islands of Tablas and Carabao, to arrest Atienza.  

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has also issued a lookout bulleting order against Atienza over the shooting.

Police said Atienza shot Mendoza in the back of the head after a brief altercation when the suspect’s Land Cruiser nearly sideswiped the motorcycle Mendoza had been driving.

The Mendoza brothers had cut into the path of the SUV as Atienza was reportedly trying to beat the red light.

He reportedly owns a .45 caliber pistol whose permit expired in May 2013 and a 9mm Glock pistol whose permit expired in May 2010.