CEBU CITY (Feb. 8, 2024, UPDATED – 5 PM) – The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) has filed murder charges against the owner of the sport utility vehicle (SUV) that allegedly figured in the death of 23-year-old Jeslar Uriel Larumbe.

Police Col. Ireneo Dalogdog. | 📷 File

Police Col. Ireneo Dalogdog, CCPO director, told Cebu City News today that his investigators filed the murder charges against Aaron Karl Tan, the owner of the SUV, before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.

Tan is the owner of Mazda CX-7 with license plates YKK-161 that killed Larumbe on Queens Road, Barangay Kamputhaw on Sunday morning, Feb. 4.

Tan earlier denied involvement in Larumbe’s death, adding that a former business partner had driven his car on the day of the incident.

Dalogdog said CCPO would have had arrested Tan after Mayor Mike Rama order them earlier today.

But he acceded to the request of the victim’s family to do so only after an arrest warrant will have been issued.

“Ang ilang gusto dili lang dakpon, iagi lang sa regular filing. Mao sa’y advice sa ilang abogado,” Dalogdog said.

“Gusto nila nga magkaroon ng airtight case. Accepted naman nila nga bahala dili sa siya dakpon, basta ang pag-file sa kaso, sulit ang ebidensya nga dili magdali-dali kay basin ma-dismiss ra,” he added.

Dalogdog said Larumbe’s mother Bernadette told him she will call Rama about her decision.

Intentional

Mayor Mike Rama

Dalogdog said CCPO has sufficient evidence against Tan that he had the intention to kill Larumbe.

One of the witnesses executed an affidavit attesting to Tan’s apparent intent to kill the 23-year-old civil engineering graduate on Sunday, Feb. 4, the CCPO director said.

“Naa man gu’y nakakita’ng testigo. Matod pa niya, giharangan gyud niya (Tan), gi-sidesweep niya,” he added.

Rama said in his Ingna’ng Mayor program over Sugboanon Channel earlier today that he wants Tan arrested due to his “clear involvement” in Larumbe’s death.

Not a City Hall employee

Meanwhile, the city’s Human Resources Development Office (HRDO) said that Tan is not a city employee..

The HRDO made the clarification on its official Facebook page on Thursday after the suspect had himself interviewed on video wearing a shirt that bore a logo of a city department. | PPRMN / jkv / cte

Arrest owner of SUV in Larumbe incident – Mayor to CCPO, NBI
‘Justice must be answered’ – Rama on Larumbe case