Murder of Eldon Maguan
On July 2, 1991, Eldon Maguan, a 25 year old engineering student at De La Salle University, was shot in the head by Rolito Go, a 43 year old construction magnate in a road rage incident at Wilson Street in Little Baguio, San Juan, Metro Manila, the Philippines. Six days after the shooting incident, Go turned himself in to the San Juan police and was charged with murder. In 1993, Go was convicted of murder by the Pasig Regional Trial Court for a 40-year jail term. Shooting On July 2, 1991, Eldon Maguan was driving his car along the one-way section of Wilson Street headed towards Pedro Guevarra Street in Little Baguio, San Juan, Metro Manila, when Rolito Go — who had recently fought with his girlfriend at Cravings Bakeshop & Restaurant — drove away from the restaurant while counterflowing on the one-way section of Wilson Street. In doing so, he nearly hit Maguan's car at the intersection of Wilson Street and Jose Abad Santos Street. Go then alighted his car, walked over to Maguan's car, and shot him in the head while inside his vehicle. Go then fled the scene on his car. Investigation Shortly after the incident, the San Juan police arrived and found an empty shell and a live 9 mm caliber ammunition round on the scene. While determining the initial location of the shooter, the police was able to obtain Go's vehicle registration plate from the security guard of Alex III, a restaurant at the intersection where the incident happened. An facsimile of his credit card was also obtained at Cravings, where he had dined prior to the incident. The security guard at Cravings was also able to identify Go as the perpetrator, and Land Transportation Office records showed that the Go's car was registered to his wife, Elsa Ang Go. Arrest and trial A manhunt was commenced, and six days after the incident, Go turned himself in to the San Juan police on July 8, 1991 with two lawyers. An eyewitness at the police station had also identified him as the gunman. Go was positively identified as the gunman and detained. The same day, the San Juan police filed a complaint for frustrated homicide to the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor of Rizal. Go was informed in the presence of his lawyers by First Assistant provincial prosecutor Dennis Villa Ignacio, that he could sign a waiver to avail for the right to preliminary investigation based on the provisions of Article 125 of the Revised Penal Code. However, neither Go nor his lawyers executed the waiver. On July 9, 1991, Maguan died of his gunshot wounds. As a result, on July 11, 1991, the prosecutor elevated the charges to murder before the Pasig Regional Trial Court with no recommendation for bail. On August 23, 1991, Go was detained at the Rizal Provincial Jail during his trial, which commenced on September 19, 1991. At the end of his trial, however, Go escaped from the Rizal Provincial Jail