Murder plaint filed vs guard who killed father-son lawyers

CEBU, Philippines – The suspect in the fatal shooting of two lawyers in Barangay Sta. Cruz, Cebu City last December 22 is now facing a murder complaint before the Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor.

The police and the family of lawyers Goering and Gerik Paderanga filed Thursday afternoon the criminal complaint against Jonathan Sanchez, a security guard.

Police Officer 3 Winston Ybañez of the Cebu City Police Office Homicide Section told The FREEMAN that only one count of murder was filed against Sanchez, that one for killing of Goering.

He said they are still waiting for the death certificate of Gerik, who died last Sunday, for the filing of another murder complaint against Sanchez.

Goering did not make it to the hospital while Gerik died three days after he was shot last December 22.

Sanchez is now under police custody after he was arrested in his parents' house in Talamban, Cebu City last Friday.

Prior to the crime, Gerik parked their car in a narrow street near F. Ramos Street and his father went inside their law office.

Witnesses said the guard got angry after the vehicle blocked the way of a cement mixer truck and an argument ensued between Sanchez and Gerik.

Sanchez allegedly shot Gerik in the nape with a 9mm pistol. After hearing a gunshot, Goering went outside to check and was shot in the chest.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines in Cebu earlier condemned the killing. Lawyer Elaine Bathan, IBP Eastern Visayas governor, said she would also ask the IBP board to issue a resolution calling for the review on the policies on the grant of license to security agencies.

She further suggested for a periodic renewal of the license of the security agencies that would show that they conducted random tests, including drug screening.

At the Cebu City Hall, acting mayor Edgardo Labella criticized the Philippine National Police over what he said as "loose monitoring" of security agencies when it comes to scrutinizing the qualifications of their security guards.

He made the statement after meeting security agency owners together with the law enfor-cers tasked to oversee security agencies yesterday. Around 60 security owners or their representatives attended the closed-door meeting.

Labella said he learned some security agencies let their guards undergo drug test and neuropsychiatric examination in a private company, alleging that fraud could happen there.

The acting mayor said he advised the security agency owners to also observe labor laws, considering that some security guards work 12 hours a day.   He said the owners' response was positive on his statement that the PNP strictly implement the rules in the hiring of security guards, to which the police also acceded.

He also said that he received reports that there are non-city-based security agencies that deploy personnel in the city and are therefore not included in the regulations set by the PNP.

Because of this, Labella said he would relay the concern to the City Council for it to come up with a legislative measure that would complement the existing laws on monitoring security agencies.

"The inputs (during the meeting) I will present…to the council (members) for them to come up with the necessary legislative interventions on how we can augment or complement the regulations being imposed by the PNP," he said.

Police Regional Office-7 Deputy Regional Director for Operations Rey Lyndon Lawas, on the other hand, said they would schedule a separate meeting with the Philippine Association of Detective and Protective Agency Operations, Inc. to meet with all the security agencies. — Michael Vencynth H. Braga, Odessa O. Leyson with USJ-R Intern Vania Lim / RHM (FREEMAN)