A man suspected of killing a female Grab driver was arrested in Pasig City last night, days after the victim’s body was found under his condominium unit’s sink in Cainta, Rizal.
Suspect Paolo Largado was found in a motel in Barangay (Village) Bagong Ilog, Pasig City at around 11pm, The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported. He had reportedly been hiding there since victim Maria Cristina Palanca’s body was discovered on Sunday. Before hiding in the motel, Largado headed to Lucena City in Quezon province to pawn the victim’s car, ABS-CBN News reported.
He was allegedly caught with one sachet of suspected shabu (meth) during his arrest and admitted to using drugs, according to Radyo Inquirer.
Palanca brought one last passenger to Pasig City last Thursday and from there, headed to Largado’s condo unit in the village of San Andres in Cainta, Rizal. Her body was eventually found under the unit’s sink at around 4pm on Sunday. The victim reportedly had a plastic bag on her head and her body was already decomposing when it was found.
Largado has admitted to killing Palanca but said that he did it in self defense after she allegedly threatened him for failing to pay her PHP26,000 (US$497.25) for an illegal drug transaction, ABS-CBN News reported.
The suspect alleged that he once rode the Grab driver’s vehicle, which was when he found out that she was in the illegal drug trade. However, the victim’s family has denied these accusations.
Largado alleged that Palanca pointed a gun at him when she visited his condo on Thursday.
“She brought a gun, so I strangled her neck then I didn’t realize that I had already covered her mouth. She couldn’t breathe and then she died,” he said in Filipino.
He said he hid the victim’s body under the sink because he did not know what to do.
According to GMA News, authorities managed to find Largado because CCTV footage from the condo revealed that he left the building using the victim’s car.
Police have discovered that the suspect previously faced charges for violence against women and children. He will now face charges for homicide, car-napping, and violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
