MANILA, Philippines – Friends lamented that his first day on the job turned out to be his last day on Earth.
John dela Riarte, 27, was driving his motorcycle on his first day of work last Friday when he hit a car in Makati.
In the ensuing altercation, Dela Riarte was arrested by members of the police Highway Patrol Group (HPG), who reportedly handcuffed him and led him to their vehicle.
Moments later, Dela Riarte lay dead from four gunshots to the neck, chest and waist.
Police Officer 3 Jeremiah de Villa and PO2 Jonjie Manon-og of the HPG are under investigation for the shooting.
Superintendent Oscar Albayalde, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), vowed there would be no whitewash in the probe.
HPG chief Senior Supt. Antonio Gardiola also ordered a probe of the incident.
Dela Riarte’s grieving relatives decried the “overkill.”
Video grab from GMA News shows relatives of John dela Riarte talking to authorities about the killing of the motorcycle rider.
The family has filed a complaint. They said the victim had no criminal record and was not a drug user.
Before his death, Dela Riarte had posted a message on his Facebook account, thanking God and anticipating his first day on the job as a driver in a bank, and expressing his love for his nieces and nephews.
Albayalde directed the Makati police to dig deeper into the incident and file charges should evidence warrant.
He asked the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) of the Philippine National Police to intervene in the case.
The Makati police will handle the criminal aspect and the IAS will look into the administrative nature of the case.
A report by GMA News TV’s Balitanghali said Dela Riarte was on his way to work when his motorcycle collided with a car driven by a certain Eric Felix Fajardo along the southbound lane of the EDSA-Estrella intersection at around 9 a.m.
The report said responding police officers allegedly saw Dela Riarte hitting the car with his helmet.
De Villa and Dela Riarte reportedly engaged in an argument before the motorcycle driver was handcuffed and taken to a police patrol car.
While in the car, Dela Riarte allegedly grabbed Manon-og’s firearm, prompting De Villa to shoot him.
A motorist said he saw three traffic officers of the Metro Manila Development Authority and two HPG officers holding Dela Riarte.
The motorist, who refused to be identified, said one of the HPG officers hit Dela Riarte in the abdomen. He said he did not know what happened next as he was told to get away from the area.
Aside from the spot report the HPG declined to give details about the incident, the report said.