Regional police still looking for German’s killers

CEBU, Philippines - Four suspects tagged as responsible for the shooting to death of a German national and wounding of two other foreigners a fast-food joint in Barangay Tabunok, Talisay City last week are still at large.

Superintendent Rex Derilo, Regional Special Operation Group (RSOG) – 7 chief, said that while three have already been arrested, they are still looking for four persons identified as among the group of men responsible for the attack.

He said three of the men were identified as Dexci “Tata” Gomonte, a certain Mak-Mak, a certain Gilbert, while a fourth person remains unidentified.

Derilo said Gomonte was the primary gunman while Mak-Mak and Gilbert were those who the two injured foreigners in an argument prior to the incident.

While the police have already filed criminal complaints for murder and frustrated murder against the three arrested suspects, identified as Ricci Edwin Ramirez Jr., Allano Velos, and Roger Cal, Derilo said they will not cease manhunt operations against Gomonte and the three other suspects

He said they have received information on the whereabouts of the four suspects but could not yet divulge further details due to continuing follow-up operations.

Derilo also said that they would likewise look into the previous cases or arrest warrants against Gomonte and his companions, whom the police suspect are also engaged in illegal activities.

For example, he said, Gomonte was previously arrested for illegal possession of firearms and was also reportedly involved in robbery and in illegal drugs.

Derilo said they considered the four suspects as armed and dangerous.

Last Friday, a group of four to seven men arrived at McDonalds Tabunok Branch in Talisay City and shot and killed German national Heinrich Haffner and injured Frenchman Julien Jerome Mathieu Maillard and Indian national Cheten Sapariya.

Haffner, who has been in Cebu as a volunteer distributing aid during super typhoon Yolanda in 2013, is believed to be a victim of mistaken identity, after he was shot and finished off by the suspects whom Maillard and Sapariya argued with prior to the attack.

Meanwhile, the 31-year-old Maillard, who was detained following the attack after it was discovered that he had a pending arrest warrant, was set free yesterday after he posted the recommended bail for his violation of Republic Act 9262 (An Act Defining Violence Against Women and Their Children, Providing for Protective Measures for Victims, Prescribing Penalties therefore, and for Other Purposes).

Talisay City police served him a warrant of arrest issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Alejandro Bahonsua, Jr. of Branch 46 in Larena, Siquijor at the Talisay City Prosecutor’s Office during the filing of murder and frustrated murder against Ramirez , Velos, Cal, and Gomonte Tuesday.

He spent two days at the Talisay City Police Station detention cell before managing to post a P24,000 bail before the sala of RTC Executive Judge Soliver Peras.

He said that before going home to France, he would go to Siquijor to settle his differences with his wife, who was the one who filed the case.  (FREEMAN)