Suspect in nurse’s fatal hit-and-run nabbed

MANILA, Philippines — A woman believed to be the driver of the car that killed a bicycle-riding nurse in a hit-and-run accident in Manila last week was arrested in Quezon City yesterday afternoon.

Accompanied by her lawyer, Saudah Bacaye, 30, of Barangay Socorro, Murphy, was taken to the Manila Police District (MPD) general assignment and investigation section for questioning.

Police said they managed to trace Bacaye’s sport utility vehicle by reviewing the closed-circuit television footage of the accident.

Renz Jayson Perez, 23, was on a bicycle at the corner of Padre Burgos and Orosa streets in Manila on his way home when he was struck by the car on Aug. 23.

During a check with the Land Transportation Office, police said the car was registered in Bacaye’s name.

The suspect’s lawyer said Bacaye was not the one driving the car at the time of the accident, but she is willing to pay the family of Perez.

When asked by probers who drove the car, Bacaye refused to answer.

“Pati ‘yung sasakyan hindi niya masabi kung nasaan,” police said.

Lt. Col. Carlo Magno Manuel, MPD public information chief, said they would file charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide against Bacaye.

Earlier, Mayor Isko Moreno ordered the police to track down the owner of the vehicle that killed  Perez.

Perez was thrown off the bike as a result of the accident. He was dragged by the vehicle as it sped away.

Perez served as frontliner at the Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital in Tondo.

Prior to the suspect’s arrest, Vilma Paguio, Perez’s grandmother, posted on Facebook the family’s call for help in locating the driver of the vehicle that struck the medical frontliner.

The victim’s father, Ricardo, had just ironed his nurse uniform when the accident happened, Paguio said in an interview with The STAR on Wednesday.

Paguio recalled that Perez used to change his uniform before going home from the hospital because of fear of being discriminated against by the public wary of frontliners taking care of COVID-19 patients.

The uniform that Perez was supposed to wear for his next duty became a symbol for the family to commemorate his heroism as a frontliner.

“He was off duty when the accident happened. His father had told him before he left, ‘Son, I just ironed your uniform, so you can just wear it tomorrow,’ ” Paguio said.

“Now, when people see medical frontliners in their uniform, they avoid them because they think they are virus carriers. That is hurtful for health workers who are only serving others,” she added.

Perez, a graduate of Bachelor of Nursing at the Universidad de Manila, also engaged in online selling to help his family.

His father is a security officer at Manila city hall.

“He had not caused us any headaches. He was well-loved by our neighbors. He was a good example to the youth. That’s why we couldn’t accept that his life ended this way,” Paguio said.

Perez is the second Manila frontliner killed while biking due to the lack of public transportation during the pandemic.

Maria Teresa Dajao, medical officer IV at the Manila health department, died after her bicycle was hit by a truck in Pandacan last April.