Police assured Tuesday that they are closing in on murder suspect Jason Ivler despite setbacks in his capture due to alleged coddlers, suspected to be his relatives, who are helping him elude authorities.

“We are confident that we will be able to soon capture Ivler,” said Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Chief Supt. Elmo San Diego Tuesday.

With this, San Diego appealed to the parents of Ivler to turn over the suspect who has been pointed as the killer of Renato Victor Ebarle Jr., the son of Presidential Chief of Staff Undersecretary Renato Ebarle Sr., during a road rage incident last week in Quezon City.

“We’re very, very close (in arresting Ivler),” said San Diego who stressed that “at this point, pasikip na ng pasikip ang mundo ni Ivler.”

Despite this, the police official expressed concern that the suspect might still put up a fight against police since Ivler is believed to still have the .45 caliber pistol he used against Ebarle.

“It will be messy if he (Ivler) chooses to fight it out with police,” said San Diego who pointed out that it would be better for the suspect to surrender.

San Diego admitted that there have been setbacks after Ivler managed to escape police arrest twice during the weekend. The QCPD over the weekend went to the house of Ivler’s step-father Stephen Pollard in Blue Ridge and the house of his uncle, musician Freddie Aguilar, in New Manila.

San Diego said Ivler was in both places but managed to get away within couple of hours before police arrived apparently because someone tipped him off.

“Kaya di namin siya makuha kasi someone is definitely harboring and giving asylum to Ivler,” said San Diego who suspects that close family members and relatives of the suspect were involved.

With this, the police official warned that they will also file charges against those who will be found to be harboring Ivler.

Meanwhile, San Diego said they are contacting the US Embassy to ensure that Ivler, who is also an American citizen, has not been issued a passport.