MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) – The Bureau of Customs on Thursday placed on floating status a clerk who is facing attempted murder charges after firing a gun at a vehicle following a traffic altercation in Makati.

Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon said he has ordered an investigation of Customs clerk Paulino Elevado for "grave abuse of authority."

Biazon admitted he was angered by the incident, more so because he knows the father of the student that Elevado attacked.

“Doble-dobleng galit eh kasi una, ‘yung trabahong ginagawa namin dito na i-restore ang image ng Bureau of Customs eh sinira niya as an employee at clearly, may abuse of authority,” he said.

He said he has also ordered a lifestyle check on Elevado for allegedly driving a white Porsche and engaging in a high-speed chase against a Toyota Innova on the south-bound lane of South Luzon Expressway after the Innova bumped his vehicle.

Authorities said the Porsche is not registered to the customs clerk.

Biazon also said it’s impossible for Elevado to own a luxury vehicle based on his monthly salary of nearly P10,000.

A brand-new Porsche would cost about P9 million.

Elevado was driving a 2006 model, which sells for P5 million.

“Questionable na kung bakit mayroon siyang minamaneho na mamahaling sasakyan. Ni-research na namin ang pagkatao niya at doon nga namin na find out na may mga kaso siya, one of which is extortion,” said Biazon.

Extortion case

Elevado was sued by an importer in 2011 for allegedly violating Republic Act (RA) No. 6713 or the Code of Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, RA No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and direct bribery under the Revised Penal Code (RPC).

The complainant Flor Tagle of Prime Modas, Inc. alleged that Elevado denied the entry of their shipment from China last March 2011 despite “favorable endorsement from the Office of the Commissioner.”

An investigation conducted by the Department of Finance’s Revenue Integrity Protection Service found probable cause to charge the Customs clerk “for trying to extort the sum of P200,000 in exchange for the signature of the district collector of Port of Manila.”

Car chase

Footage from a CCTV camera in the early hours of January 21, 2012 showed Elevado’s sports car chasing after the Innova being driven by a 20-year-old student.

The student, who declined to be identified, swerved to the service road heading to Villamor Air Base to evade Elevado.

However, Elevado did not give up chase and eventually caught up with the student and his passenger.

Elevado and his companion, a certain Florencio Bato, allegedly beat up the student and his friend.

When Elevado threatened to get his firearm from his vehicle, the student and his friend sped off.

The two ended up in front of the Marriott Hotel in Pasay where, according to a hotel guard, those inside the Porsche started firing at the Innova.

The luxury car also bumped a barrier of the hotel.

Another guard said two armed men got out of the sports car and started shooting at the Innova.

Both Elevado and Bato were arrested near a Pasay hotel and were turned over to police. Recovered from them was a caliber .40-calibre firearm.

They are facing charges of physical injuries and attempted murder. Both were jailed for 2 days before being released prior to their preliminary investigation.

Elevado has not appeared at the Customs bureau since the incident. -- With reports from Anthony Taberna, ABS-CBN News; ANC; The Philippine Star