MANILA - Authorities on Saturday searched for Jason Ivler, the suspect in the killing last Wednesday of the only son of a Palace official, but failed to find him in two houses.

Operatives from four law enforcement units-went to the family's residence in Blueridge Subdivision along Katipunan Ave., and in the ancestral house of the Aguilar family on 7th Street, New Manila, both in Quezon City, but did not find Ivler.

Ivler is a son of Marlene Aguilar, sister of Filipino nationalist-folk singer Freddie Aguilar, who is famous for his song, "Anak."

The manhunt operation was continuing as of posting time, and authorities suspect he may be hiding in a farm in Rizal province.

Units from the National Bureau of Investigation-Special Action Unit, Highway Patrol Group, Criminal Investigation and Detention Unit of the Quezon City Police District, and SWAT, are involved in the manhunt.

Authorities have sought for a hold departure order against Ivler to prevent him from leaving the country.

Ivler is the suspect in the road rage killing of Renato Victor Ebarle Jr., son of assistant secretary Renato Ebarle, who works in the office of the Presidential Chief of Staff.

Ebarle was shot dead in Quezon City on Wednesday following a traffic altercation.

Ivler, is the stepson of Stephen Pollard, a British national who works with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and has a diplomat status.

But the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Ivler cannot invoke diplomatic privileges and is not immune from arrest.

Ebarle Sr. expressed hope authorities would be able to effect the arrest soon following the order for a nationwide manhunt. He appealed to Ivler's kin to surrender him to authorities.

He recalled that Pollard promised that he would give his full cooperation for the surrender or the arrest of his stepson.

Pollard's lawyer, Alexis Medina, urged Ivler to surrender, and added that Pollard is not hiding his stepson.

Palace condemns 'senseless killing'
Meanwhile, Malacañang condemned "in the strongest terms possible" the recent "senseless" killing of Ebarle Jr..

In a radio interview from Dumaguete City, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said "we have ordered the Philippine National Police to leave no stone unturned."

"We would like to take this opportunity to call on the suspect and everyone who knows him to convince him to surrender himself peacefully, even to me here in Malacañang, so that we can give justice to this senseless and brutal murder of the only son of Undersecretary Renato Ebarle Sr. of the Palace Chief of Staff," Remonde said.

Ebarle Sr. worked closely with Remonde when the latter was Presidential Management Staff chief.

Ivler was previously arrested after his car crashed and killed Presidential Technical Assistant for Resettlement Undersecretary Nestor Ponce Jr. in August 2004. Ivler escaped but was later arrested.

The young Ebarle, a recruitment manager of the Manila Peninsula Hotel, was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser on Santolan Rd. in Quezon City at 11 p.m. on Wednesday when he almost collided with a blue Honda CRV with diplomatic plate 209003 registered under Pollard, a Palace press release said. -- reports from Joey Villarama, Maan Macapagal, ABS-CBN News