Witness tags 2 suspects as FX gunmen

A witness surfaced yesterday and pointed to two suspects in police custody as among the three armed men involved in the killing of a call center employee during an FX taxi robbery in Pasig City last April 2.

Dominic Escarella, 29, also a call center employee, said Ryan Concuera, 22, and Rodeo Bartolome, 26, held up passengers of an FX taxi they were riding in Barangay Rosario.

Escarella said Concuera later shot Charlene Santos, 27, in the mouth when she kept on pleading with the suspects not to take her cell phone.

Senior Superintendent Romeo Abaring, Pasig City police officer-in-charge, said they had to fetch Escarella from his residence in a Rizal town and to assure him of ample protection in exchange for his testimony against Concuera and Bartolome.

Abaring said Escarella positively identified the two suspects during a confrontation yesterday at the Pasig City police headquarters at 9 a.m.

Earlier, the FX taxi driver, also pointed to Concuera as the man who shot Santos.

The Pasig City police filed yesterday robbery with homicide charges against Concuera and Bartolome before the Pasig City prosecutor’s office.

Prosecutor Glen Santos recommended no bail against the duo.

According to Escarella, he was seated beside Bartolome at the back of a gray Mitsubishi Adventure taxi when the latter and his companions announced the heist at 6:45 p.m. last Sunday.

He said Santos was seated between Concuera and the third robber.

Both the victim and Escarella were on their way to report to work in Makati City.

Escarella said Bartolome divested fellow passengers of their cell phones, wallets and other personal belongings.

The new witness corroborated the taxi driver’s story that the suspects were rushing out of the vehicle when one of them noticed that Santos was still holding on to something. Concuera jumped back into the vehicle and, at gunpoint, ordered Santos to hand over her phone.

Santos refused. "Kunin n’yo na ang lahat. ‘Wag lang itong cell phone dahil importante ito sa akin."

One of the suspects then ordered Concuera to shoot Santos.

"Yariin mo na ‘yan, masyadong maingay," the witness heard one of the suspects yell out.

The witness said Concuera shot Santos in the mouth, with the bullet exiting through her nape. Concuera grabbed Santos’ phone and joined his two companions as they casually walked away from the scene.

Concuera was arrested in his house in Tramo, Barangay Rosario last Monday while Bartolome surrendered to the Pasig City police last Tuesday.

The two suspects denied participation in the robbery-slay.

Concuera and Bartolome are the subject of a number of arrest warrants for robbery-snatching and frustrated homicide cases in various courts in Pasig City.

The two suspects are detained at the Pasig City police detention center. — Non Alquitran