The suspect in the killing of Grab car driver Gerardo Maquidato Jr. was arrested by the authorities on Tuesday night.
According to a report of Unang Balita, authorities served Narc Tulod Delemios, also known as “Nikolo” or “Miko,” an arrest warrant at his home in Barangay Sto. Niño, Pasay City past 8 p.m.
Supt. Gene Licud, city’s assistant chief of police for operations, said the 25-year-old suspect is now under police custody after he surrendered himself upon arrest.
After Delemios’ arrest, authorities brought him to a construction site in Tarlac City where policemen found Maquidato’s sport utility vehicle (SUV), which he used to pick up his gunman passenger.
Delemios certainly identified the victim’s vehicle.
In an advisory sent to the media, the Southern Police District (SPD) said that the suspect would be presented at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Headquarters in Quezon City.
Family of Gino Balbuena, who was also allegedly killed by Delemios after an insignificant fight during a basketball game, went to the Pasay City Police Station after being notified of Delemios’ arrest.
“Nasiko siya ng anak ko. ‘Yun lang, tapos nagkahamunan, marami pong nakakita kasi maraming…nagkakara krus, nakita siya. Walang nakalapit kasi may hawak silang baril. Kaya walang nakatulong sa anak ko [He (Delemios) was elbowed by my son. That was it, then they dared each other, many witnessed it because there were a lot of people playing a coin game ‘Kara Krus.’ No one dared to come closer since they were holding a gun. That is why no one was able to help my son],” Gailee Hernandez, mother of Balbuena, was quoted saying in a GMA report.
The gunman was identified by the police through the help of his live-in partner, Giselle, who volunteered to cooperate with the authorities.
Giselle told the police that her mobile phone was used by the suspect to book a GrabCar ride last October 26, along F.B. Harrison Street.
On the same day, Maquidato was found dead on Bonanza Street in Barangay 189. A witness narrated that he heard a gunshot at around 7:50 p.m and saw a lifeless man dumped out of a silver Toyota Innova. He said that the suspect fled using the victim’s vehicle after he dumped the dead body.
Delemios has a standing warrant of arrest issued by a Parañaque court in February 2015 for the slay case of a man in 2014.
The slain Grab driver was hailed as “good Samaritan” by many after his story went viral on social media months ago. Many praised the driver for helping a sick passenger to pick up bags of blood for her dialysis, but did not ask for payment for the trip out of kindness.