Jose Antonio Sanvicente, the driver of the sports utility vehicle (SUV) that hit and ran over a security guard in Mandaluyong City on June 5, pleaded not guilty to the frustrated homicide case filed against him.

He entered the not guilty plea during the case arraignment that lasted for only less than five minutes on Wednesday afternoon at the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court Branch 213.

During the arraignment, Sanvicente and Christian Floralde, the security guard victim of the hit and run, were present together with their respective legal counsels.

The suspect declined to answer question from the media.

The court scheduled the pre-trial for the case on Oct. 4

On Aug. 25, the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor’s Office downgraded the frustrated murder raps filed against Sanvicente to frustrated homicide.

According to the resolution issued on June 29, the Prosecutor’s Office made the decision after it heard Sanvicente’s defense and said there were no qualifying circumstances to consider the frustrated murder charge.

It also dismissed the abandonment of persons in danger and one’s own victim complaint against the suspect due to lack of probable cause.

On June 7, Mandaluyong City Police Chief Col. Gauvin Mel Unos said the police have filed the charges against Sanvicente after determining that the filing of frustrated murder charges was possible after a review of the video that went viral on social media.

In the said video, the 31-year-old security guard was rammed and ran over by Sanvicente while conducting the flow of traffic at the intersection of Julio Vargas Avenue and St. Francis Street. Floralde suffered fractured ribs and a head injury.

The preliminary investigation on the case was first held on June 17 where Floralde submitted his affidavit to the Prosecutor’s Office.

Sanvicente, on the other hand, submitted his counter-affidavit on June 23 after skipping the first day of the preliminary investigation.