Quezon City Police Department-SOCO authorities examine the body of Renato Victor Ebarle Jr. who was allegedly killed by an unidentified assailant along Santolan Road in Quezon City, Wednesday night. (Photo by POL BRIANA JR.)

The son of a Malacañang official was allegedly shot and killed during a traffic altercation in Quezon City Wednesday night by a Caucasian male driving a sports utility vehicle (SUV) with diplomatic plates.

Supt. Lino Banaag, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD-CIDU), identified the victim as Renato Victor Ebarle Jr., 27, son of Undersecretary Renato Ebarle Sr. of the Office of the Presidential Chief of Staff.

Banaag said the victim, who is a recruitment officer of Peninsula Manila, died on the spot during the shooting incident that took place at 11:10 p.m. Wednesday along Santolan Road near corner Ortigas Avenue in Barangay Valencia. Ebarle sustained gunshot wounds in the chest and arms.

The police official said that a Caucasian male was seen as the person who allegedly shot and killed the victim from what was believed to be a traffic altercation in the area.

Banaag said the suspect was driving a wagon-type SUV bearing the diplomatic plate 20903. A check with the Highway Patrol Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP-HPG) showed that the vehicle belongs to British national Stephen Pollard, who is currently residing along ADB Avenue in Mandaluyong City.

However, Chief Inspector Benjamin Elenzano, chief of the homicide investigation section of the QCPD, yesterday discounted Pollard, 58, as the suspect who shot Ebarle Jr.

Elenzano was at the DFA in Pasay City yesterday afternoon where investigators were able to get a photo as well as information of Pollard whose SUV with diplomatic plates 20903 figured in a traffic altercation in Quezon City Wednesday night.

He cited that the DFA said Pollard works as a principal economist of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The police official pointed out that according to witness SPO2 Edgar Tiodin the suspect was a Caucasian male between 25 to 30 years old.

However, Elenzano said a picture of Pollard as well as information on the Briton showed that he was an old man.

Elenzano suspects that a relative or a staff of Pollard had been driving the Briton’s SUV and was the one who allegedly shot Ebarle.

Though Pollard is covered by diplomatic immunity, Elenzano was told by the DFA that the staff and relatives of Pollard here in the country are not covered by the immunity.

Witness SPO2 Edgar Tiodin told CIDU investigators that he was driving his Isuzu Crosswind along Santolan Road on Wednesday night when he saw the suspect and the victim engaged in a traffic altercation along the road.

The police officer said he saw the suspect’s SUV blocked Ebarle’s blue Toyota Land Cruiser (RET-565) upon reaching an area near corner Ortigas Avenue.