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Frustrated murder charges filed vs. suspects in botched ambush of lawyer


Charges of frustrated murder and illegal possession of firearms have been filed against the suspects in the failed ambush of a lawyer in Quezon City on early Tuesday morning.

A press statement from the Quezon City Police Department on Thursday said suspect John Paul Napoles is facing four counts of frustrated murder and violation of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act in connection with his botched attack against lawyer Argel Joseph Cabatbat.

He is confined at the East Avenue Medical Center after Cabatbat ran him and the other suspects over with his vehicle, ultimately killing one, a dismissed police officer.

Earlier reports identified the wounded suspect as John Paul Cerillo.

The suspect who escaped after the failed ambush attempt was ordered for further investigation, said the statement.

QCPD Police Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar appealed to the escaped suspect to surrender to authorities.

The case against Police Officer 1 Mark Boquela Ayeras, the cop who died, was ordered dismissed.

The filing of charges renders the case solved, said Eleazar.

QCPD investigators have already identified Cabatbat's three companions, all Nueva Ecija residents, during early Tuesday morning's incident.

According to the statement, the motorcycle-riding Napoles fired at the vehicle Cabatbat and his companions were boarding past midnight on Tuesday.

This prompted the black Montero to chase him and its occupants to fire back at him, later ramming his motorcycle. The speeding vehicle then ran over him, the statement said.

After being shot on the side in a fire exchange, Ayeras, onboard another motorcycle, was also reportedly rammed by the Montero.

Cabatbat then lost control of the vehicle, which rolled over and was left lying on one side, due to the impact.

The occupants of the vehicle were unhurt, and the driver of the second motorcycle escaped on foot.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines has condemned the attack against Cabatbat. —KG, GMA News

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