| Injured | Killed |
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| 0 | 1 |
Date: 02 August 2010
Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100803-284605/Young-leader-of-car-theft-gang-capturedkilled
MANILA, Philippines—Two different police reports emerged about Ivan Padilla and how the law finally caught up with him.
But at least the police officer who led the manhunt was definite about one thing: Padilla was young and “good-looking” like road rage murder suspect Jason Ivler and fierce like the slain robbery gang leader Alvin Flores.
Padilla, who at 23 allegedly led a notorious car theft syndicate, was killed in what authorities maintained to be a shoot-out with lawmen before dawn in Makati City Monday.
“He was raring to fight and escape arrest. He’s like Ivler or Flores who wouldn’t stop and surrender until you have paralyzed him. Plus the fact that he was good-looking like Ivler,” Supt. Maristelo Manalo told the Inquirer.
Manalo said he was part of a seven-man team that cornered Padilla and companion Mark Inducil, who were then cruising in a beige Toyota Vios along General Luna Street near Makati Avenue at around 4:30 a.m.
Inducil surrendered and emerged unscathed from the firefight, said Manalo, who heads the anti-car theft unit of the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO).
Hours after the encounter, however, media reports quoting police gave two different versions of what happened.
The first report at around 6 a.m. quoted Senior Supt. Leo Francisco, head of the NCRPO’s Regional Police Intelligence Operation Unit, as saying that Padilla and a companion were “arrested.”
Francisco also said the two suspects would later be presented to the media at the NCRPO headquarters in Bicutan, Taguig City.
About 30 minutes later, Francisco called up a radio reporter and, off-the-air, clarified that Padilla had actually died at the hospital.
Press releases
A press conference was called by the NCRPO at around 10 a.m., but before it started the Inquirer saw the drafts of two press releases at the media lounge: One saying Padilla was captured, the other saying he was killed.
The presiding officers later distributed the second press release to reporters.
In the Inquirer interview, Manalo said his team acted on a tip from an informant about Padilla’s favorite hangout.
He said he and his men knew they were on target when they saw the Toyota Vios used by the suspects, since the same car (with Plate No. ZAP 355) was earlier reported stolen from a call center agent in Las Piñas City last week.
Manalo said Padilla fired the first shot, forcing his team to retaliate. Padilla and Inducil were even heard arguing during the firefight, the latter wanting to surrender after sensing they had been cornered, the police official said.
Shot in the head
“But it seems Ivler was (Padilla’s) idol. He wouldn’t stop,” Manalo said.
He said Inducil, who was driving the Toyota Vios, tried to maneuver out of range and sent the car careening past several parked vehicles.
Padilla took a shot in the head and was rushed to Ospital ng Makati where he was declared dead on arrival at around 5 a.m., Manalo said.
Police said Padilla used a .38-cal. pistol which was later recovered inside the car along with a .22-cal. pistol and a hand grenade.
NCRPO chief Director Roberto Rosales said it was unfortunate that Padilla had to die because he could have identified other gang members.
Padilla, according to NCRPO officials, was considered a “high-profile criminal” who mainly targeted wealthy vehicle owners.
Padilla and his group allegedly stole the vehicles of former Ambassador Roberto Romulo and a Japanese citizen in Taguig City on July 26. The gang was also suspected of taking the sports utility vehicle owned by the father of actor Derek Ramsey.
English-speaking
Padilla was also facing five criminal complaints for car theft, robbery and possession of illegal drugs filed with the Makati prosecutors office and Las Piñas Regional Trial Court.
According to Manalo, Padilla came from a broken home and both his parents are in jail on drug charges.
Padilla was raised by his grandmother in Parañaque City, where he finished high school.
He started out stealing vehicles just for kicks until he realized he could make big sums of money out of it, Manalo said.
Padilla was also fluent in English and was said to have friends in rich and influential circles. “That’s why you wouldn’t mistake him for a robber,” Manalo said.