THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed charges of one count each of direct assault with frustrated murder and attempted murder against Jason Ivler in connection with the January 18 shootout in Blue Ridge Quezon City that resulted in the wounding of two NBI officers.
Aside from Ivler, his mother singer-writer Marlene Aguilar was also charged as accomplice.
The charges were filed before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday afternoon.
NBI Director Nestor Mantaring said the assault with frustrated murder charge was for the wound inflicted on Special Investigator Anna Lira Labao of the Intelligence Services. The direct assault with attempted murder was for the wound inflicted on lawyer Angelito Magno, chief of special Action Unit (SAU).
Mantaring said the illegal possession of firearms charge has been absorbed in the assault complaint.
The NBI also summoned Ivler’s stepfather, British Stephen Pollard, economic consultant at the Asian Development Bank, to appear at the NBI for questioning on Thursday to shed light into the incident.
“He (Stephen Pollard) is not yet off the hook,” said Mantaring.
Ivler was arrested for the killing of Renato Victor Ebarle Jr., son of Undersecretary Renato Ebarle Sr., during a traffic altercation in Quezon City last November 18.
Earlier, ballistic tests conducted by the NBI revealed that the .45 caliber pistol used by Jason Ivler during the shootout with law enforcers is the same gun allegedly used in the killing of Ebarle.
It further showed that Ivler both fired the .45 caliber pistol and M.16 rifle when he traded shots with NBI operatives.
Mantaring said the result of the ballistic examination would bolster the murder charges filed against Ivler, and the firearms used and the slugs will serve as additional evidence.
After an inventory of evidence, the NBI also found out that Aguilar was equipped with an earpiece and gadget allegedly used in communicating to her son and relaying messages to him during his arrest last January 18.
The NBI said it was clear during the arrest that Ivler knew the movements of the operatives. (JCV/Sunnex)