MANILA, Philippines -- Following the paper trail of the registration of the get-away vehicle, investigators have finally found a possible suspect in the murder of a pastor last year.

Chief Superintendent Benjardi Mantele, director of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), said they filed murder charges against suspect Julian Basilan and another unidentified man for the killing of Baptist Church pastor Joseph Saliba who was gunned down on the morning of October 13 last year along Banlat Road in Barangay Tandang Sora.

During the incident, witnesses noted the plate number USP-929 attached to the white getaway car that led in-vestigators to a Mitsubishi Lancer registered under the name of Carla Medina of Marikina City.

QCPD homicide investigation head Chief Inspector Ariel Capocao learned from the verification of the car that the vehicle was sold from a certain Arman Jalata of La Loma, Quezon City, to a Filomino Balingcos of Pasig City then later to a Ramil “Bong” de Leon of Lipa City.

De Leon initially denied having bought the vehicle but records of the Land Transportation Office in Lipa City and of the emission testing center in Batangas confirmed that the Lancer was brought there on October 12.

“Mr. Bong De Leon revealed in the investigation that the said car was being displayed ‘for sale’ at a car shop in Rosario, Batangas. Immediately, CIDU operatives were dispatched on December 14, 2010 for follow-up investigation and (this) yielded positive result that led to the recovery of the getaway vehicle… and (operatives) eventually unmasked the identity of a certain Julian Basilan… of Sitio Tsampoy, Mabini, Batangas,” Mantele said in a report to Metro Manila police chief Director Nicanor Bartolome

When operatives went to Basilan’s house, he was not there and had apparently gone into hiding.

A car dealer at the shop where the Lancer was recovered said he acquired the vehicle from Basilan through a transaction on the phone on December 5. The car was bought for R118,000.

The car dealer claimed he never saw Basilan in person but he was able to provide the police with the latter’s photograph.

Policemen then showed Basilan’s photo to a woman, who witnessed Saliba’s killing, and a tricycle driver, whose vehicle the assailant boarded to go to the waiting getaway vehicle.