John Albert Laylo (Instagram)
MANILA – The remains of Filipino lawyer John Albert Laylo will be flown to Manila on June 28, the Philippine Consulate General in New York said Wednesday.
Consul General Elmer Cato made the announcement on the same day he met with John's mother Leah and Philadelphia City Mayor James Kenney.
"During the meeting, the Consulate conveyed the demand of Mrs. Leah Laylo for justice for her son. We also conveyed the request of the Philippine government for authorities in Philadelphia to do everything they can to bring whoever is responsible to justice," he said.
Cato said Kenney expressed his condolences to the Laylo family and assured them that justice will be served.
Kenney also apologized for what he described as a "terrible tragedy".
Local police are currently analyzing surveillance videos of the area where the incident took place, Cato said.
"Based on their initial assessment, the incident was most likely a case of mistaken identity. They believe the suspect was targeting a vehicle similar to what the Laylos were riding in but shot at theirs instead," he said.
A USD20,000 (approximately PHP1 million) reward is currently being offered for information that would lead to the arrest of the shooter.
Laylo and his mother were on board an Uber on their way to the airport to catch their flight to Chicago Sunday morning when he was shot in the head. Leah sustained wounds from the car's glass fragments.
The lawyer was pronounced dead Monday morning.
Based on initial police reports received by the Philippine Consulate in New York, the vehicle was shot at from behind by still unknown suspects, who then pulled over to the Uber driver’s side and fired more rounds before fleeing. (PNA)
