Killing of Bacolod doc videotaped by killers

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — The brutal killing of a prominent physician in his residence in Brgy. Alijis Bacolod City last Thursday was recorded on a cellular phone’s video by the two teenage-suspects.

The video, which runs 5 minutes and 18 seconds and shown on ABS-CBN Tuesday night, showed how Dr. Andres Gumban, 63, a pulmonologist, struggled to flee from his attackers and desperately called for help while the suspects seemed to enjoy the act of crime.

Based on initial investigation, the victim died due to 34 stab wounds in the chest, stomach, and neck which was slashed.

As shown in the video, the 16-year-old suspect from Cadiz City placed his cellular phone by the window in the kitchen of Gumban’s house, while holding a stone in his back. He and his companion, Fof Pascual Jr., 18, of Sagay City, were apparently waiting for the doctor to enter the house from the backyard.

As the victim entered the kitchen and was washing his hands in the sink, the 16-year-old approached him from behind and repeatedly hit the victim on the head with a stone, the video shows. When the doctor fell on the floor, Pascual stabbed him four times on the chest. The doctor tried to escape from his attackers by crawling towards his room but the suspects dragged him to the bathroom, the video further shows.

The footage also showed that the doctor stood up and tried to get out of the bathroom but Pascual stabbed him again and locked the doctor with the 16-year-old inside the bathroom. While Gumban and the 16-year-old were inside the bathroom, Pascual was seen washing his hands and legs at the sink and pacing back and forth from the doctor’s room.

The minor later came out from the bathroom and had slipped on the blood-stained floor. He then stood up, washed himself in the sink, took his cellular phone from the window and brought it to the bathroom to videotape himself with the lifeless doctor in the background. He later held the camera before his face, smiled, winked at the camera before the video stopped rolling.

The video was released to the media Tuesday by Sr. Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, Bacolod City Police director, who said the suspects admitted that they are illegal drug users and are “callboys.”

De la Paz said based on the video tape and other evidences, they have filed robbery with homicide and murder charges against the suspects before the Bacolod City Prosecutor’s Office Tuesday. He said the video debunked the claims of the 16-year-old who said that Gumban, armed with a knife, tried to molest him while he was inside the bathroom, prompting him to grab the weapon and repeatedly stab the victim instead.

De la Paz said they have established that the two planned the robbery and the killing of the doctor when they were still in Cadiz City. The P50,000 in cash, iPad, wristwatch and necklace of Gumban were still missing, he said.

Also presented to the Prosecutor’s Office were the affidavits of the doctor’s neighbors, Ivan Amar and Jonathan Maniego, who foiled the escape of the suspects. De la Paz said they are still investigating if Pascual and the 16-year-old had other companions when they committed the crime.

The 16-year-old claimed he was befriended by Gumban through social networking site Facebook last March and met him last week. On the night of the crime, the minor brought Pascual. They were reportedly fetched by the doctor in North Terminal, and bought food and drinks at a mall, before proceeding to his house.

Gumban’s remains are set to be buried on Sunday after a 10 a.m. Mass at the Triumph of the Holy Cross Church. (FREEMAN)