CEBU, Philippines - Aside from the feeling of loss, wrong reporting (not from The FREEMAN) over the death of Juan Carlos Villordon on Sinulog day, added to the burdens that the victim’s family and friends are dealing with.
“None of the reports (on the newspapers) were true,” said the victim’s live-in partner, Aimee Sembrand, who was with the victim during the shooting.
According to Sembrand, the wrong stories about the incident now haunt them while they grieve over the death of Villordon.
The victim is a son of a former executive from the defunct Aboitiz Shipping Company.
Villordon’s girlfriend was saddened by the reports published in some newspapers alleging that her boyfriend was shot by one of the robbers because he resisted and challenged the gunman to shoot him.
“I did not hear JC (the victim) challenging the gunman to shoot him, that was not true!” Semrand said in Cebuano.
The victim was shot on Sunday near a night club at Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City.
She clarified that JC was a few meters ahead of her, with two other friends, when they were attacked by the robbers.
Sembrand was walking with her friends Kate Rosta and Sam Radimoda.
Rosta told The FREEMAN that one of the robbers put an arm around her shoulder and then poked a gun directly at her face. She lost her necklace to the robbers while Radimoda lost his digital single lens reflex camera.
This time, Rosta said she shouted and asked JC for help saying, “Tabang, Do.”
Upon hearing Rosta’s cry for help, Villordon rushed toward the three while his companions took cover. However, one of the robbers suddenly shot the approaching victim on the chest.
“Do napusilan ko. Di na ko kaginhawa (Do, I got hit. I can’t breathe),” Villordon reportedly shouted to Rosta who immediately hailed a taxi cab and they all rushed the victim to Perpetual Succor Hospital.
“JC asked to be brought to Perpetual. When we arrived (at the hospital) I rushed inside and shouted please help my boyfriend,” Sembrand added.
Two hours after, Villordon died.
“We (Villordon and Sembrand) were only here in Cebu for vacation and we are set to go back to Australia on February 22,” Sembrand told The FREEMAN.
She said they left the country last year to study and later work in Australia.
Villordon’s family, who are now living in the United States of America, arrived in the country yesterday. (FREEMAN)