What we know so far: Killing of model Grab driver Junjie Maquidato Jr.

MANILA, Philippines — Last year, Grab partner-driver Gerardo “Junjie” Maquidato Jr. made waves when he did not accept payment from a sick passenger.

Grab Philippines then recognized him for his deed, naming him as one of the driver awardees.

On October 28, Maquidato once again made it to the news—but it was not because of another “good samaritan” act. It was because he was killed.

READ: Grab condemns driver’s killing by carjackers

What the police said

According to the initial police report, a witness heard gunshots at around 7:50 p.m. Thursday night.

Lifeless Maquidato was then seen shoved out of the silver Toyota Innova with plate number YV 7109 along Bonanza St. in Pasay City.

He sustained a gunshot wound to the back of his head. The slug exited through his left eye.

He was believed to be killed by a lone suspect who booked and rode as a regular passenger. The killer fled toward Cesna St. using the victim’s vehicle.

Authorities were looking initially at carnapping as the motive.

Investigation is still ongoing as of posting time.

What Grab said

Grab condemned the death of Maquidato, whom they called as “one of our best driver-partners.”

“Grab is one with authorities in making sure that justice will be served and perpetrators will be put behind bars,” the ride-sharing company said in a statement Sunday.

But Grab refused to name Maquidato’s last passenger so as not to jeopardize an ongoing police investigation.

The company Grab has reported six confirmed cases of carnapping incidents involving vehicles under their platforms.

“We are currently discussing tech solutions that would decrease, if not completely hamper, the chances of carnapping incidents involving Transport Network Vehicle Services,” it said.

During his Facebook Live, Grab country head Brian Cu announced that the company is offering a P100,000 reward to anyone who captures the killers of Maquidato.

“I think it’s within our responsibility to do whatever we can to catch the perpetrators of this crime,” Cu said in a mix of English and Filipino.

The company asked for the support of its passengers as it takes additional measures to prevent the incident from happening again.

“We prioritize the safety of our driver-partners as much as we do for our passengers... Before starting the trip, our driver-partners may ask you to show a personal identification card to verify your identity especially during night shift hours,” Grab said.

What his family said

Cu, during his Facebook Live, said he talked to the family of the slain Grab driver.

“Nung nakausap ko ang misis niya, ang simpleng hiling lang niya ay mabigyan ng justice si Sir Gerardo at mahuli ang pumatay sa kanya—ang duwag na pumatay sa kanya (When I talked to his wife, she said her only wish was to bring justice to Sir Gerardo and catch the coward who killed him),” he said.

Maquidato’s nephew, Rex Mer Solitario, posted online about his uncle’s death.

“Naghahanap-buhay nang maayos, pinatay niyo. Hindi [na] kayo naawa sa tao at sa pamilya niya. Apat ang anak niya, maliliit pa sila. Maaga niyong kinuha sa kanila ang papa nila (He is working decently but you killed him. You didn’t even pity him and his family. He has four children. You took their father’s life too soon),” Solitario said on Facebook.

What his passenger’s relative said

Maquidato went viral August last year for helping a passenger undergoing dialysis.

A certain Divine Lacto Ornum booked a GrabCar for her sister, Prima, who was on her way to Quezon City to pick up bags of blood for her dialysis.

Maquidato picked her up but did not charge his passenger out of kindness.

Grab Philippines said Prima has passed away but her relatives had the chance to thank Maquidato in person during his awarding.

After Maquidato’s death, Divine recalled the kindness of the Grab driver, who kept in touch with her family after the post when viral.

She shared that Maquidato gave them the cash reward he received from Grab, adding she did not want to take the money but the driver insisted.

“Sabi ko napakabuti ng puso nya sana pagpalain pa sya at dumami ang blessings niya kasi talagang napakabuti ng puso niya. Lagi akong nagpapasalamat na siya ang nakukuha ng booking sa paghatid sa kapatid ko (I hoped that he would be blessed because he is really kind-hearted. I am always thankful that he was the one who picked up my sister),” she said.