Authorities filed two cases against the owner of the SUV in a hit-and-run of a mall security guard on Sunday.
Mandaluyong chief of police Col. Gauvin Unos told ABS-CBN News cases of frustrated murder and abandonment of one’s victim or violation of Article 275 of the Revised Penal Code were filed with the city prosecutor’s office late Monday afternoon.
The respondent had been verified with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) as the registered owner of the vehicle that bumped into and later ran over the 31-year-old mall security guard in the incident caught in a viral video, ABS-CBN reported.
Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo, in a radio interview said it is police procedure in vehicular incidents to file charges versus the registered owner even if the driver has yet to be identified.
The burden of proof would be on the owner to prove they were not driving or involved in the incident, Fajardo said.
“Frustrated murder po dahil obviously ay may intention on his part na deliberately sinagasaan ang security guard pati na violation ng Article 275 or abandonment of one’s victim,” Fajardo, in an interview, said.
The vehicle owner was earlier issued a show-cause order by the LTO to explain why he or she should not face reckless driving charges.
Officials say they have yet to determine if the registered owner or someone else was driving the SUV.
Police also reported that lawyers from the camp of the vehicle’s owner gave assurance that they would cover the victim’s hospitalization expenses.
The owner of the SUV involved in the hit-and-run incident did not show up during the hearing set by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Tuesday, LTO chief Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante said in a GMA News Online report.
The LTO is reportedly set to issue a final show cause order to the SUV owner.
In a dashcam footage, the victim was seen stopping a white SUV but was instead hit by the vehicle and was ran over. The suspect has sent surrender feelers to authorities.