Guard shoots suspected thief

CEBU, Philippines - A suspected thief died after he was shot to death by a security guard at the demolition site of the Gaisano Capital at corner Colon and Leon Kilat Sts., Barangay Kalubihan, Cebu City yesterday morning.

Rodrigo Fernandez, of legal age and a trisikad driver, who resided at Garfield St., Barangay Suba, died of two gunshot wounds in his body.

Suspect Marjon Manriquez, 25, voluntarily surrendered and now in police custody.

Investigation conducted by Homicide Section of the Cebu City Police Office showed that Fernandez tried to stab Manriquez, which prompted the latter to shoot.

Manriquez, assigned with Saint Michael Security Agency, narrated to The FREEMAN that he was guarding inside the fenced demolition site when somebody knocked on the site’s gate.

He opened the improvised gate and saw the victim and another male companion, who then asked permission to get inside the site, claiming they were part of the demolition team. In order to make sure of their claim, Manriquez asked for their identification cards. However, instead of heeding, the two ignored him and proceeded inside.

The two men separated ways and walked towards the basement, Manriquez said.

“Ayaw mo diri bay kay mao ni tugon sa tag-iya. Panggawas na lang mo,” was what Manriquez told the two, as he caught up with Fernandez to prevent him from successfully getting inside the basement. (Please leave, you are not allowed here.)At this juncture, Fernandez, who was all along bringing a knife, tried to stab Manriquez, which prompted the security guard to shoot him. The victim was hit on the left part of his chest.

“Mikuha siya og kutsilyo, misuway og dunggab nako, ako na qlang pod nga gipusil,” the security guard further said. (He got a knife and tried to stab me that’s why I shot him.)

The victim still tried to move, apparently trying to attack Manriquez again, which promoted the latter to fire another shot.

The victim was hit on the left side of his face and died.

Manriquez said he suspected that the victim and his companion were about to steal inside the abandoned establishment, considering their persistence to go inside. After the shooting, the other man was no longer found and apparently escaped.

The suspect expressed a little repentance in shooting the victim, but claimed he would have been the one dead if he did not act on self-defense.

 “Ug wala pud to nako buhata, ako man pud mao’y mamatay,” he said. (Had I not shot him, I would have been dead by now.)  

The suspect voluntarily surrendered to the police.

Police recovered an empty shell of a caliber .45 pistol from the crime scene, along with a live ammunition of the same caliber, and the knife reportedly owned by the victim.

The victim now lies at the Saint Francis Funeral Homes at N. Bacalso Avenue. — (FREEMAN)