3 suspects eyed in condo guard’s slay

MANILA, Philippines - Investigators are zeroing in on three suspects in the fatal shooting of Jimmy Lagunsad, a security guard at the Burgundy Corporate Tower in Makati City on Thursday afternoon, an official said yesterday.

Makati police chief Senior Superintendent Manuel Lukban said they took into custody 126 security guards hired by the old and new board of directors of the 38-story condominium.

Lukban said of the 126 guards, 80 have been released after they were questioned and their firearms confiscated for ballistics tests.

The Philippine National Police’s Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies will investigate the incident, said PNP public information office chief Senior Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac.

Lagunsad, an employee of the Sidekick security agency (not Spectrum as earlier reported), was shot dead in the chest with a shotgun during a confrontation between members of the Swag security agency guarding the building and security guards of the Sidekick and Spectrum security agencies who accompanied court sheriff Leonel Roxas, who was about to serve a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the building’s old board, led by Roger Serafica.

Police said the shooting, which happened at around 5:30 p.m. on the driveway of the building on Gil Puyat Avenue, stemmed from a dispute between the building’s old board, led by Serafica, and the newly elected board, led by president Ramon Garcia.

The two boards are fighting for control of the 10-year-old building constructed by Burgundy Realty Corp.

On Thursday afternoon, Makati Judge Joselito Villarosa issued the TRO to prevent Serafica and the directors of the old board from exercising their power and functions in the building.

Police said the sheriff was met with resistance by around 100 Swag security guards employed by the Serafica group.

According to Lukban, the three suspects are among the 40 members of the Swag security agency now under police custody.

Lukban said that based on a discussion with lawyers from the Serafica group, the Swag security agency has agreed to identify its three guards who were armed with shotguns at the time and could have shot Lagunsad.

Lukban said that one of the three could face a homicide charge if it is proven that the shotgun he was carrying at the time of the incident is the same one that killed Lagunsad.

Should the 40 Swag security guards remain mum on what had happened, Lukban said all of them and their superiors could face the charge of murder.