The Quezon City Regional Trial Court has scheduled the arraignment of Jason Ivler, suspect in the killing of the son of a Malacañang official, on February 9 to give him time to recuperate from the wounds he sustained when he traded shots with arresting lawmen early this month.

The arraignment will be held at the sala of QC RTC Branch 76 Judge Alexander Balut. Ivler and his mother, Marlene Aguilar-Pollard, both face several criminal charges after he resisted agents of the National Bureau of Investigation who went to arrest him.

Ivler is still at the Quirino Memorial Medical Center where he has undergone two operations.

Balut said the scheduled arraignment would hopefully give Ivler enough time to recuperate.

Ivler was implicated in the killing of Renato Victor Ebarle Jr. allegedly over a traffic altercation on November 18, 2009.

The NBI earlier expressed its desire to have Ivler transferred to an NBI detention cell as soon as he recovers from the bullet wounds he sustained after he opened fire and wounded two NBI agents, prompting the arresting officers to return fire, last January 18.

However, the RTC has ruled that Ivler would have to be detained at the Quezon City Jail after he is discharged from the hospital.

The NBI said it will abide by the court order but will continue to secure Ivler while he is confined at the hospital.

NBI Director Nestor Mantaring said NBI operatives backed up by policemen are guarding Ivler, who remained handcuffed while in the hospital recovery room.

“The primary considerations are to make sure that Ivler will not escape and will not hurt anyone and to prevent him in case he decides to hurt himself,” said Mantaring.

The NBI earlier said Ivler is also wanted by authorities in the United States after a Nevada court issued a bench warrant for his failure to appear in court on drug trafficking charges.