'No diplomatic immunity for Ebarle son's killer'

His father may have diplomat status, but the suspect who shot dead the son of a Malacañang official will not enjoy diplomatic immunity, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Saturday. DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya said Jason Ivler could not invoke such a privilege should he be arrested in the wake of the Philippine National Police’s all-points bulletin on him.

“To the extent we can recall, mukhang walang binigay sa kanyang diplomatic ID (we did not issue Ivler any diplomatic ID). The best evidence of that diplomatic status is the diplomatic ID," Malaya said in an interview on dzRH radio. “'Di pa lumalabas ang pangalan ng anak. Ang nakita namin sa record namin ang naka-accredit sa DFA yung tatay. Ang tatay nagtatrabaho sa ADB [Asian development Bank] bilang principal economist at may diplomatic status (Our records do not show Ivler is accredited as having diplomatic status, though his father is, as a principal economist of ADB)," he added. Ivler was tagged as the suspect in the road-rage shooting of Renato Victor Ebarle Jr., 27, in Quezon City before midnight of Wednesday. His stepfather Stephen Pollard is an ADB executive and had assured Quezon City police of his cooperation in the incident. The vehicle used in the shooting, which had a diplomatic plate “20903," was issued to the elder Pollard. But Malaya said that while the elder Pollard enjoys diplomatic immunity, such a privilege does not automatically apply to Ivler, who he said is in his 30s. “Hindi (ito) automatic. Ang diplomatic status cover sa kanyang minor children, ang recognized members of the household. Sa records namin, itong stepson na ito ay about 30 years old already. So that being the case, he would not be having anymore diplomatic status (Diplomatic immunity is not automatic. Diplomatic status covers minor children and recognized members of the household. Our records show the stepson is about 30 years old, so diplomatic status for him is not automatically granted)," he said. Abuse on diplomatic plates Malaya also said the incident has prompted the DFA to review its policy on diplomatic plates. He admitted such diplomatic plates had been abused in one way or another. “Tinitingnan namin ang policy on the use of diplomatic plates. Pag alis sa bansa dapat i-account or i-surrender ang diplomatic plates (We will review the policy on the use of diplomatic plates, which should be accounted for or surrendered once the diplomat leaves the country)," he said, but did not elaborate. Looking for Ivler For its part, the PNP said all territorial and national units are now on the lookout for Ivler. PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said in a separate interview Ivler is also on the watch list of the Immigration Bureau. “All territorial and national units on land, sea, or air are on the lookout for his whereabouts," Espina said in an interview on dzRH. - GMANews.TV