IT manager shot dead in Pardo

CEBU, Philippines – The manager of an information technology company was shot dead by two unidentified men riding on a motorcycle at F. Jaca St., barangay Pardo shortly before midnight yesterday.

Police suspect a personal grudge angle in the case as the man's wife reportedly had threatened him prior to the incident.

Philip Ramos, 36, a production manager of Innodata Knowledge Services, Inc. based in Mandaue City died of two gunshot wounds on his body.

The victim was parking his motorcycle along with his 23-year-old live-in partner in front of the house of a friend when two men riding in tandem on a white and black colored motorcycle approached from behind.

Agnes Bitco, live-in partner and co-worker of the victim, told police that the back rider, who was armed with a gun, alighted from the motorcycle and shot the victim twice on his back.

After shooting the victim, the gunman went back to the motorcycle and they sped off towards barangay Kinasang-an.

Bitco described the gunman as wearing a green T-shirt and a ball cap.

PO2 Lou Pagara, investigating officer from the Homicide Section of the Cebu City Police Office, said that the main motive they are looking into behind the incident is personal grudge allegedly harbored by the victim's wife against him.

He added that they are, however, not discounting other angles like this may have to do with his job.

Pagara said the wife of the victim, whose name is being withheld, went to the Homicide Section yesterday to ask the police to assist her in having the body of her husband transferred to the Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes in Mandaue City for the reason that she is the legal wife.

Right now, the body of the victim lies at the house of his parents in Pardo.

Pagara said the wife expressed disappointment that she was being accused as a possible mastermind.

The wife lives in a boarding house in Paknaan, Mandaue City together with their two children since they separated with the victim last February.

She said that she cannot do such thing as having her husband killed.

Pagara said that Bitco and the victim's siblings have told them that the wife was mad at the victim because the latter did not grant her request to increase their monthly allowance from P20,000 to P25,000.

The victim had also allegedly received verbal death threats from the wife.

The wife said that while it is true that she asked the victim for additional allowance some time this month, she said she is not mad at him for not granting her request.

"Tinuod daw na mi-text siya sa biktima para magpadugang og P5,000 kay nagbayad pa daw siya sa boarding house 'nya nagpa-tutor pa g'yud daw siya sa kinamaguwangan nilang anak. 'Nya sukad ato kay wa na daw mag-reply ang biktima sa iyaha. Igo na lang daw siya naghuwat," Pagara said.

The wife also just knew yesterday of the reports that the victim had filed for legal separation with her, Pagara said.

Pagara said they will still invite the wife along with Bitco.

They will also do a background check on the wife, he said.

At the victim's office, his co-workers told the police that Ramos had a good relationship with the employees.

They described him as a jokester, but a secretive type of person.

Ramos was rushed to the Cebu City Medical Center by Bitco, who was assisted by the victim's sister, Maharlika, but was declared dead-on-arrival by the attending physician.

One of the bullets exited through the victim's chest while the other bullet remained stuck in his stomach.

The cellular phone of the victim and two empty shells believed to be caliber .45 and a slug of still unknown caliber were recovered from the crime scene. - with Marc N. Torniado/Palompon Institute of Technology Intern/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)