Road rage: Victims of shooting incidents triggered by traffic altercations

Generoso Miranda December 1, 1984: Navy Captain Eladio Tangan shot Generoso Miranda, a 29-year-old optometrist, over a traffic altercation. Miranda was rushed to the Philippine General Hospital, but he died on the way. Tangan was charged and later convicted of homicide for consciously and deliberately firing his gun at Miranda. The case reached the Supreme Court, which affirmed Tangan's conviction in 2001 and denied his motion for reconsideration with finality in 2002. Tangan was sentenced to a prison term ranging from six years and one day to 14 years, eight months and one day. He was also ordered to pay Miranda's heirs P50,000 as civil indemnity, P42,000 as funeral and burial expenses, P5,000 as attorney's fees, and P50,000 as moral damages. Eldon Maguan July 2, 1991: Eldon Maguan had mistakenly driven his car on the wrong side of a one-way street in San Juan when he encountered the vehicle of businessman Rolito Go. The near-collision prompted Go to alight from his car and shoot Maguan. Maguan, a De La Salle University engineering student, died a few days after the shooting incident. The Pasig Regional Trial Court convicted Go of murder in 1993 and sentenced him to a jail term of up to 40 years. Go took his case to the Court of Appeals, which upheld the lower court's ruling. The Supreme Court denied his petitions for a shorter sentence and also turned down his request to be convicted of homicide instead of murder. Feliber Andres October 31, 1998: Noel Andres and his family were driving out of the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina when their Toyota FX nearly collided with the vehicle of Inocencio Gonzalez. Andres tailed Gonzalez's vehicle for a short distance and cut the latter's path. A confrontation ensued, and Gonzalez eventually drew a gun and fired at Andres' vehicle. The gunshot hit Andres' pregnant wife, Feliber, their two-year-old son Kenneth, and their nephew, Kevin Valdez. Feliber Andres lived to give birth to a baby girl by caesarian section but died on November 1, 1998. Kenneth and Kevin were treated at a hospital and were discharged days later. A trial court found Gonzalez guilty of murder and two counts of frustrated murder in 1999. A Supreme Court ruling modified the trial court's decision in 2001, finding Gonzalez guilty of homicide and sentencing him to a prison term of up to 14 years, eight months and 1 day. Jay Llamas January 10, 2003: Law school graduate Jose Ramon "Jay" Llamas was shot dead in his car by a man onboard a motorcycle after they figured in a traffic altercation in Pasay City. Sources: Supreme Court, GMA News, BusinessWorld