Justice dep’t issues immigration lookout order vs vehicle owner in hit-and-run
THE DEPARTMENT of Justice on Tuesday issued a lookout order against the owner of the vehicle in the viral hit-and-run incident in Mandaluyong City.
Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra told reporters in a Viber message that the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) was released after Mandaluyong City prosecutors filed a complaint on Monday.
“A complaint has been filed with the office of the city prosecutor of Mandaluyong City against the SUV (sports utility vehicle) owner/driver for frustrated murder and violation of Article 275 of the Revised Penal Code,” he said.
Mr. Guevarra noted that there is no record of the driver leaving the country as of Tuesday.
A lookout bulletin directs immigration officials to inform the Justice department if a person of interest attempts to leave the country.
Last week, a dashboard camera footage taken from another vehicle
showed the driver of the SUV running over a shopping mall security guard who was directing traffic. It went viral on social media.
Mandaluyong City police had filed charges of frustrated murder and abandonment of the victim under the Revised Penal Code.
In a statement on Monday, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) said it had revoked the suspect’s license after his record showed prior reckless driving violations. The driver has also been permanently banned from driving a car in the country.
“Taken as a whole, his actions are tantamount to the acts of an improper person to operate a motor vehicle pursuant to the Land Transportation and Traffic Code,” it said.
The driver had failed to appear before authorities even after the LTO issued multiple show cause orders, directing him to explain the hit-and-run incident. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
