Errand boy eyed in computer shop killings

MANILA, Philippines – Homicide investigators of the Makati City police said yesterday one of the suspects in the killing of a Korean national and two others at a computer repair and sales shop works as an errand boy for one of the shop’s regular customers.

According to Senior Police Officer 1 Marvin Fajilan, technician Arthur Dacles – one of two workers who survived the attack at the KP Network System shop – the suspect’s boss had ordered 10 units of refurbished personal computers last week.

“According to him (Dacles), the suspect was carrying at least P15,000 in cash with him (last Thursday), supposedly to pay for the units,” Fajilan said. Police declined to identify the name of the errand boy or his boss.

The suspect, instead of paying the shop’s owner, Alex Ko, decided to stage what appears to be a robbery instead. Fajilan said the suspect may have been tempted by the Korean victim’s money.

Homicide investigators are still determining if the suspect, along with at least two other unidentified men, managed to take money from the shop.

Based on Dacles’ account, the errand boy arrived at the shop but instead of paying for the computers, he was buying a computer instead. The errand boy then talked to Ko.

While the suspect was talking to Ko, two more men entered the shop and closed the door. Ko, sensing something was amiss, ran into the shop. The suspect followed him, shouting for money.

Police said the suspect could have struggled with Ko, who may have also been hit by a dustpan before he was shot.

Alarmed by the commotion, two of Ko’s companions – Kaye Gatus and Nory Lazarito – rushed to his aid. The suspects stabbed them repeatedly.

Dacles and another technician, Glen Pinluan, were also stabbed by the suspects, who then rushed out of the shop.

Police said Dacles and Pinluan played dead and waited until the suspects left the shop before asking help from their neighbors. Pinluan is still fighting for his life at the Ospital ng Makati.