Enhancers may have killed Israeli

CEBU, Philippines - Philippine National Police crime lab medico-legal officer Dr. Nestor Sator said yesterday that the sudden death of Israeli real-estate developer Rony Fest, 53, inside a hotel along Salinas Drive in Barangay Lahug on Monday dawn may be the result of his taking libido enhancers.

This was after Sator received the information from a representative of the Israeli Consulate.

Sator clarified he was not allowed to conduct an autopsy on Fest’s corpse after he was told by the Israeli consul that Judaism discouraged autopsies.

“Gibawalan ko kay di-man kuno pwede sa iyang relihiyon,” he said.

The Israeli Consulate, according to Sator, is coordinating with the police to bring Fest’s body back to Israel as soon as possible.

Fest was declared dead at the Perpetual Succour Hospital after his companion, Cherrylou Ocampo, a medical transcriptionist, called for help from the hotel management around 2 a.m. on Monday.

Fest, who was reportedly planning to invest in the local Business Process Outsourcing industry, arrived with Ocampo in Cebu City last Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Francis Gosgrave, 40, an Irish Bible Baptist missionary living in Elizalde Compound, Don Gervacio Quijada St., Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City, was shot by a bystander after an argument last Monday.

The two assailants were identified by the police as Juniel Caballes, 22, and his relative, Francis Caballes, both natives of Negros Oriental.

Cebu City Police Office investigators said that Gosgrave was biking when he passed by Juniel and Francis sitting by the side of the road.

The two allegedly called out “Hey Joe! Hey Joe!” and the victim felt insulted and got off his bike and approached the two.

Gosgrave allegedly argued with the two for a few minutes before he decided to return to his bike. He was about to leave when the two allegedly shot him in the right leg.

A concerned citizen brought the victim to the Chong Hua Hospital where he is currently recuperating.

Gosgrave’s children, who were jogging some distance away, learned of the incident after they heard the gunshot and went to check what it was about.

The two assailants are still at large.

Investigators clarified that the said attack was an isolated case and should not be cause for alarm among foreigners living in the city. — (FREEMAN)