Guard dies, 1 man hurt in 2 shooting incidents

CEBU, Philippines - A security guard of a convenience store at the Cebu IT Park in Barangay Apas, Cebu City died on the spot after he was shot by his colleague around 6:55 p.m. yesterday.

Police identified the victim as Veronico Llannes Vergara Jr., 30, resident of Purok 8, Barangay Kamputhaw.

A hot pursuit operation against the suspect, John Carlo Espinosa, 24, of Ponce 2 Barangay Carreta, is ongoing.

Both are security guards employed by Rockland Agency and assigned at the 7/11 Store in IT Park, where the shooting incident took place.

Police Officer 3 Nicolo Gonzalez of the Homicide Section believes that personal grudge was the motive behind the killing but clarified that further investigation is still being done.

Vergara was about to assume his duties in the next shift, relieving Espinosa who was then inside the store.

Gonzalez said the store’s cashier, Paquito Campos, confirmed to the police that the security guards were arguing over money matters near the stairs leading to the upper floor of the establishment.

Campos later heard two gunshots and saw Espinosa bolting away from the store. When he went to check, he saw Vergara already lying on the floor bloodied and unconscious.

Emergency Response Unit Foundation personnel arrived at the scene but declared Vergara dead upon assessment.

Vergara sustained gunshot wounds to his left neck and chest.

Police recovered from the crime scene two empty bullet shells from a 9mm cal. firearm.

They went to the residence of Espinosa to arrest him, but Espinosa was not at home. The victim, on the other hand, was brought to a funeral home where his body was subjected to an autopsy.

Following the incident, the store temporarily suspended its operation yesterday. The storeowner refused to comment on the incident. 

Meanwhile, in Barangay Pahina San Nicolas, a man survived after he was shot by four unidentified assailants at dawn yesterday.

The victim, Benjel Cabrera, 26, a resident of Tres de Abril, Barangay Pahina San Nicholas, was brought to Cebu City Medical Center after he obtained two gunshot wounds, one in his stomach and the other in his left arm.

According to Cabrera, he was going to pee along the side of the road when he noticed two motorcycles following him.

The four assailants (two drivers and two back riders) who were wearing helmets pulled out their firearms and fired at him several times.

Cabrera was able to run and seek for help while the assailants fled to an unknown direction after the incident.

“Kahibaw naman gyud na siya (Cabrera) unsa’y rason nganong gi pusil siya. Dili lang gyud siya mu-sulti,” said SPO2 Rommel Bancog of Cebu City Police Office homicide section when asked about the motive of the shooting.

The Crime Scene Investigation Unit led by SPO3 Teodoro Lumanas found six empty shells of bullets from a .45 cal. and 9mm, together with one deformed slug at the crime scene. These will be subjected to a ballistic examination.

A follow-up investigation is being done to identify the culprits and their motive for shooting. —with Frances Denise Lagdameo (FREEMAN)