A Manila City court on Monday convicted a former Philippine Army reservist for the July 2016 killing of biker Mark Vincent Garalde in a road rage incident in Quiapo, Manila.
Judge Buenaventura Albert Tenorio Jr. of Manila City RTC Branch 14 has found Vhon Martin Tanto guilty beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced the accused to suffer imprisonment of reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years.
Tenorio also ordered Tanto to pay Garalde’s heirs P1. 048 million as actual damages, P100, 000 as civil indemnity, P100, 000 as moral damages, and another P100,000 as exemplary damages.
“All damages awarded shall be subject to the rate of six percent per annum from finality of this decision until its full satisfaction,” the court ruling stated.
Present during the promulgation were Garalde’s wife Rachel, and his mother, Malou, who both welcomed the decision.
“Nasagot na ang mga prayers ko, ang mga prayers namin. Salamat po at nagkaroon ng justice. Salamat sa lahat ng tumulong malaking bagay po ito para makamit namin ang hustisya,” Garalde’s mother said in Tagalog.
“Maging leksyon din po sana ito sa lahat,” she added.
The Department of Justice indicted Tanto before the Manila City RTC on the basis of his admission of the crime and the account of eyewitness Bryan Yu, and the shooting incident was also captured by closed circuit television camera positioned along P. Casal Street, which showed Tanto and Garalde engaging in a fistfight before the shooting.
The DOJ said then that Tanto did not give Garalde a chance to defend himself as he had already turned his back from respondent, thinking that they have already settled the matter after the fistfight when shot four times, including in the face.
Student Rosell Bondoc was also hit and was confined in the hospital for several days.
Police said the altercation between Tanto and Garalde occurred after the suspect’s Hyundai Eon vehicle hit the bicycle rider along the same street.
The two then engaged in a fistfight before Tanto shot the victim and fled the crime scene.
Tanto who was arrested by a combined Army and police team in Masbate several days after the shooting incident admitted and apologized for the crime though he claimed that Garalde’s arrogant behavior provoked him into shooting the victim.