Suspect in Perry Mariano shooting identified via fingerprints — police

One of the suspects in the shooting of billiards patron Perry Mariano has been identified through fingerprints recovered from the motorcycle believed to have been used in the crime, police said Tuesday.

At a press briefing, PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Randulf Tuaño said latent fingerprints lifted from the motorcycle’s handlebars led to the identification of one of the suspects.

“Ang pinaka-latest update sa nasabing case. Kausap na po natin ang director ng QCPD. Meron na pong result yung latent print lifting na nangyari. Nakapag-resulta na po yung latent prints doon sa may motor,” he said.

(The latest update on the said case. We have already spoken to the director of QCPD. The latent print lifting that happened has already yielded results. The latent prints on the motorcycle have already yielded results.)

“Ang pwede lamang po natin i-share sa iyo, hinihiling ng director ng QCPD. Identify na po yung isa sa dalawa. Na-background na rin po at yung kanyang mga previous cases,” he added.

(All we can share with you is what the director of QCPD has requested. One of the two has been identified. His previous cases have also been checked.)

Based on the initial assessment, he was the possible driver of the motorcycle, Tuaño said.

The suspect reportedly had a prior criminal record and existing warrants but authorities declined to disclose further details amid ongoing operations.

Law enforcement units have launched follow-up operations outside Metro Manila to arrest the identified suspect.

On April 28, two men riding a motorcycle opened fire on a white vehicle carrying the two victims, Mariano, 75, and his 51-year-old driver.

Both victims sustained multiple gunshot wounds and were later declared dead in a nearby hospital.

Mariano was a patron of Philippine billiards, supporting the careers of top players such as Carlo Biado, Johann Chua, and Dennis Orcollo.

CCTV footage

Police said CCTV footage captured the suspects fleeing the scene on a motorcycle. The back rider, believed to be the gunman, was seen wearing a helmet and casual clothing.

Authorities later recovered the motorcycle abandoned on Scout Rallos, along with helmets, masks, and other items believed to have been used by the suspects.

Initial findings revealed that the motorcycle used in the attack bore an MV file number that did not match its registration, suggesting it may have been duplicated or falsified.

Authorities said at least a dozen pieces of ballistic evidence were recovered from the crime scene.

On April 29, police released to public enhanced images of the two suspects.

Investigators are looking into business rivalry as one of the possible angles behind the crime. — RSJ, GMA News