File charges against gang members

CEBU, Philippines – The Mandaue City Prosecutors Office yesterday recommended the filing of charges against four members of the street gang "Crips" who are linked to the killing of a taxi driver last Thursday dawn in Upper Tingub, Mandaue City. 

Assistant City Prosecutor Bienvinido Mabanto recommended for the filing of robbery with homicide charges against the four teens who are allegedly responsible for the death of Modesto Heligao, 38, of barangay Pulpogan of Consolacion town, and who drove one of the cars of Catz Taxi.

During the inquest proceedings yesterday, the two witnesses positively identified the four suspects.

A taxi driver said he recognized one of the four as 18-year-old Ronnie Ranile, his neighbor in barangay Casuntingan.

He said the group flagged him down first but since Ranile recognized him, they got off and hailed another taxi.

Another witness, who is a tricycle driver, was passing by the place of the crime at 2:30 a.m. when a 15-year-old girl who was one of the group members, told him about a dead taxi driver a few meters away. 

Except for the 17-year-old gunman who has owned up to the crime, the three others vehemently denied involvement in the crime and said that they did not know that their companion had a gun with him and that they were going to visit a friend in barangay Tingub at that time.

They said they failed to stop the gunman from robbing and killing Heligao because they panicked when he told them to leave him as he was already choking the driver while pointing a gun at him.

The 17-year-old juvenile who allegedly killed the driver told Mabanto it was only he who committed the crime.

But Mabanto was not convinced.

Mabanto said he found there was a clear "unity of purpose" when they robbed and killed the driver for the reason that one of the juveniles recognized the first taxi driver as his neighbor, and took another taxi.

Mabanto also said none of the alleged gunman's companions even dared to stop him from committing the crime.

Aside from a robbery with homicide case, the 17-year-old alleged gunman was charged in court last February for possession of firearms and direct assault of a person in authority.

Both Ranile and the 17-year-old are detained at the Mandaue City jail since the alleged gunman has already committed crimes previously while the two other minors, a 17-year-old and a 15-year-old girl was ordered placed under custody at the Operation Second Chance. (THE FREEMAN)