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MANILA, Philippines ? Jason Ivler, the American suspect in the killing of a son of a Malacañang official over a traffic altercation, is not covered by diplomatic immunity, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.
DFA spokesman Ed Malaya said that Ivler was not issued any accreditation by the DFA for diplomatic status and as such could be arrested by the police to face the charges.
?There are no records that would indicate that Mr. Jason Ivler has been accredited for purposes of entitlement to a diplomatic status,? Malaya told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in an interview.
He said the DFA has issued accreditation only to Ivler?s stepfather, Stephen Pollard, the registered owner of a blue Honda CRV with diplomatic plate 20902 used by Ivler at the time of shooting.
Malaya said the diplomatic immunity extended to Pollard?s two minor children with his wife Marlene, a sister of singer Freddie Aguilar.
Pollard is a senior economist at the Asian Development Bank, an international organization entitled to diplomatic status.
Ivler was driving Pollard's vehicle when he allegedly shot and killed Renato Victor Ebarle Jr., 27, the only son of Malacañang chief of Staff Renato Ebarle Sr. last Wednesday on Santolan Road in Quezon City.
The young Ebarle, a recruitment manager of the Manila Peninsula Hotel, was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser when he nearly collided with Ivler's vehicle.
A policeman who saw the incident said that the suspect blocked Evarle's vehicle, got down and shot the victim at close range before fleeing the scene.
But in an interview with Vice President Noli de Castro over the latter's radio program, "Para Sa Iyo, Bayan," on Saturday, the elder Ebarle said that based on initial investigation, the suspect shot his son twice.
"Sana ay matapos na ito at ma-effect na ang arrest [I hope that this will be over and that the arrest be effected]," he said, adding that he was in Zamboanga City at the time of the shooting.
