Police readying raps vs Makati bar shooter

The Makati Police Department (MPD) is preparing a number of criminal charges against the gunman in last Wednesday’s shooting incident that left a TV director dead outside an upscale bar at the Ayala Center last Wednesday.

This developed as police teams continued yesterday a manhunt for one "Oliver Perez," who went into hiding shortly after he shot and killed Luis Santiago, director of ABS-CBN’s Nginiig series, and wounded six others outside the Venezia Bar at Glorietta II.

Charges includes homicide, multiple serious physical injuries, indiscriminate firing and possible illegal possession of a firearm.

In an interview, Makati police homicide division chief Senior Inspector Gary Reyes said they are now in custody of the vehicle which the suspect used when he fled the crime scene.

The brown Toyota Hi-Lux pickup truck (XTW-280) is now being subjected to examination in an effort to lift fingerprints.

Reyes clarified that the vehicle was not registered to the suspect, but to a certain Charito Angeles of Alabang, Muntinlupa.

The owner’s mother, Estrella, turned over the vehicle to the MPD and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) shortly after learning that the same had been tagged by witnesses as the vehicle of the gunman.

"But for now, we still do not know how the suspect came to be driving the said vehicle. Ayaw nilang magsalita eh," Reyes told The STAR.

He expressed confidence that they will soon be able to catch the shooter.

According to him, they have a handful of witnesses who can positively identify "Oliver" as the gunman since they saw him get his gun from the pickup truck and fire at the crowd.

Reyes said the pistol used was a 9mm handgun.

He assured the public that the MPD is doing everything it can to get to the bottom of the incident and send the culprit behind bars.